


Control

by HOMRA



Category: K (Anime)
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Established Relationship, Eventual Relationships, F/M, Hostage Situations, Kidnapping, M/M, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-13 03:35:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5693041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HOMRA/pseuds/HOMRA
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“They're gonna come for us, you know that, right?”</p><p>The laugh that met Yata's ears was full of doubt and disbelief, and at this point, after so many days and nights- too many to count at this point in a room devoid of windows- of being subjected to that kind of pain Yata couldn't blame Saruhiko for it. Saying that had become ritualistic for him, and while he didn't doubt that his King was doing everything he could to find him he couldn't help but think that maybe that was futile, too. </p><p>Even if it wasn't, they could be dead by the time help arrived. </p><p>“They're gonna come for us...” Yata repeated as he slowly let the pain take reign over him and he began to fall into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard- Saruhiko's devoid voice- chilled him to the core.</p><p>“Don't hold your breath.”<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheYaoiChick](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheYaoiChick/gifts).



> Because I've been wanting to write something kind of dark for awhile, I've decided to take this route. ;D MikoMisa is the established relationship in this, and ReiSaru will be further down the line. This will be told from a mix of Yata and Saruhiko's viewpoints. This first chapter is kind of a prologue. 
> 
> I want to thank @TheYaoiChick for being awesome and for helping me develop ideas for this. This one's for you! ^.^
> 
> Warnings for this entire fic: Some depictions of violence, psychological torture as well as physical, and lots of angst and fluff (in the later chapters). 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!~

When the iron door shut for the last time that day Yata let out a guttural groan, rolling on his back as he clutched at his stomach and the charred flesh that met his fingertips. He found it ironic, the way the flames had seared his skin as if they were a foreign substance to him and not a part of his very being, but alas, his flames and _those_ flames had been completely different. 

Directly beside him he heard Saruhiko cough once before taking a few deep breaths, after that everything in the room was silent except for the buzzing of the lights overhead. Not having the strength to move his head, he pushed past the pain and pursed his lips. 

“Hey, Saru....”

“What?”

“They're gonna come for us, you know that, right?”

The laugh that met his ears was full of doubt and disbelief, and at this point, after so many days and nights- too many to count at this point in a room devoid of windows- of being subjected to that kind of pain Yata couldn't blame him for it. Saying that had become ritualistic for him, and while he didn't doubt that his King was doing everything he could to find him he couldn't help but think that maybe that was futile, too. 

Even if it wasn't, they could be dead by the time help arrived. 

“They're gonna come for us...” Yata repeated as he slowly let the pain take reign over him and he began to fall into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard- Saruhiko's devoid voice- chilled him to the core.

“Don't hold your breath.” 

\- -

**2 Weeks Prior**

“Boys! Enough!” Izumo seethed as he pried Yata and Kamamoto off of each other for easily the tenth time that week. While the latter seemed willing to stop the fight, Yata thrashed violently for a moment before Izumo clamped a hand down on his arm and squeezed with enough force to cause the skateboarder to hiss in pain. “If you two don't cut it out then I'm going to kill you guys, no more fighting in the bar! Do I make myself clear?”

“Kusanagi-san, Yata-san is the one who started it!” Kamamoto proclaimed as he pointed a finger at said man, “he's mad because I told him Chitose said he and Dewa could catch that local drug dealer before we could because Yata-san won't stop playing video games long enough to go out.”

“Says you, fatty!” Yata shot back as he pointed a fist in Rikio's direction, “I told you we could go once I beat that damn boss and you just had to nag me!”

“How is that my fault, Yata-san? You kept saying that and we ne-”

“Enough!” With lightning fast movements, Izumo landed two identically nasty blows to the back of each of their heads before he grit his teeth. “Both of you, work it out! Apologize to each other and get on with it!”

“So noisy....”

“O-ow, eh? Mikoto-san!” Yata rubbed the back of his head in a weak attempt to dull the pain as he turned and glanced at the Red King- who was finally stirring from his spot on the couch. Anna- who sat parallel to him- only shook her head out of disdain. “S-sorry we woke you! We were just leaving, right _Kamamoto_?”

“Yata-san is right! Sorry, boss....”

Mikoto only huffed as he pulled himself off the couch, walking over to the group nonchalantly as he studied them for a moment before he slipped past them and opened the door to the kitchen area before disappearing inside. Izumo let out a sigh as he got back to work, cleaning a couple of glasses while Yata and Kamamoto both looked at each other out of embarrassment. 

“Go get my skateboard and bat and give me a few minutes, we'll go as soon as I talk to Mikoto-san, got it?” 

“Got it, Yata-san!”

As Kamamoto disappeared up the stairs, Yata let out the breath he had been holding in as he walked towards the same door his King had ducked behind moments before. Pausing with his hand over the doorknob, he looked back at the bartender.

“That really hurt, you know.”

“You deserved it, Yata-chan. Stop fighting in the bar and you won't get hit,” Izumo chuckled without looking back at him. Something that made Yata's irritation grow but he only grunted and decided to ignore it for now, finally going into the kitchen in search of the one person he actually wanted to talk to at that point. Mikoto was tiredly pouring himself a bowl cereal, one hand scratching at his hip, the other pouring the milk but he made no movement towards him nor said anything to indicate he even knew Yata had followed after him. 

“I'm going after that Strain that's been working with the mafia,” Yata informed him as he finally gained Mikoto's attention, though it was merely a glance up from his food. “You know...the one pushing drugs...Kusanagi-san got a lead this morning when he sent Dewa out to do some surveillance. We should have it squared away soon enough.”

“Good,” was all he got in response as Mikoto picked up the spoon he had retrieved and began munching away at his food. 

“Is there anything else you needed to be done today?” Yata inquired as he took a tentative step forward, wondering why a voice in the back of his head told him to linger there despite his need to go on the manhunt with the others. Like usual, he ignored that gut feeling and brushed it off, pegging it for excitement. 

“Nope,” Mikoto answered as he quickly finished up the rest of the food before sitting the dish in the sink. “Good luck, Yatagarasu.”

“Mikoto-san?” 

Looking at the King expectantly, Yata took a few more steps forward until Mikoto tugged him forward into a lazy one armed hug. Still, Yata sunk into his arms and wrapped his own around Mikoto's waist, burying his face in his chest- partially to hide the embarrassing blush on his cheeks and partially because he felt the random urge to do so. That gnawing feeling in the back of his mind became even more prevalent the longer they stayed like that, and even when he heard Kamamoto thump back down the stairs he didn't feel like letting go.

“Mikoto-san...before I go,” Yata paused, biting his lip awkwardly as he pondered how to word his request before he finally forced himself to just come out and say it. “Can I...I uhm h-have a kiss?”

“Do you really need to ask me that every time?” Mikoto sighed as he leaned down and titled Yata's chin upright with his other hand, their eyes locked for a brief moment before he and Yata both closed the distance between them. That voice in the back of Yata's mind was screaming to him at this point, dread filling his core and his mind at the mere thought of being out of Mikoto's line of sight but still, he was unrelenting and forced himself to forget it. 

As usual, Mikoto tasted of cigarettes and mint, nothing ever changed that but because it was so common it became addictive to Yata. It had been six months since he and Mikoto had begun having a relationship that far surpassed the boundaries of King and clansman and a part of him still had a hard time believing it- that Suoh Mikoto saw something in him and wanted to be with him because of it. 

Being around Mikoto, being in his arms, was the safest place in the world to Yata. It was somewhere he always felt loved and protected, secure from all harm that might have come his way. Yata embraced danger for the most part, thrived in it, but even so, it was nice to have someone to come back to that would exalt any feeling that had come with the day and the tasks he had been given. 

When they parted Yata took a deep breath and stepped out of Mikoto's reach, knowing without a doubt now that Kamamoto was waiting for him so they could leave and that Chitose and Dewa were also expecting their arrival. Mikoto nodded his head once before turning around so he could run his abandoned dish under water but before Yata could even turn to go, he partially gave in to that voice in the back of his head. 

Stepping forward a few times, Yata wrapped his arms around Mikoto's waist and buried his face in the center of his back. Trying to rid himself of his nerves- that had seemingly become too great to ignore- and steel himself for what was to come, to make himself excited about it even. With a slightly anxious tone of voice, Yata asked Mikoto a question in need of reassurance.

“I'll see you soon, right?” 

“Ah,” Mikoto shot back as he looked over his shoulder, catching Yata's gaze for a moment until his eyes softened a little bit. Yata couldn't help but smile up at him before he let go, taking a deep breath as he walked out of the kitchen and met up with Kamamoto in the doorway. 

“We'll see you guys later,” Yata called back into the bar as he waved his bat back and forth before he followed after Kamamoto and dropped his skateboard on the sidewalk. Kicking just enough that he and Rikio were going at the same pace, he looked over at his friend with a bitter expression. “So what's this guy supposed to be like anyway?”

“Kusanagi-san said he's dangerous, we should be careful,” Kamamoto answered in short as he pulled his PDA out and pulled up a small map on the built in hologram. “Dewa said he should be in this area according to the data Kusanagi-san provided.”

“Got it,” Yata nodded as he glanced over at the image, “there's three entry points that could serve as exits in the alley ways. I want you all to shut them down in case the bastard tries to get away.”

“Then what will you do, Yata-san?” 

“Idiot, I’ll go in after the guy.” Yata seethed as they rounded a corner, putting them a block closer to their intended target. “If something goes wrong I'll just come outside and you guys will be there, right? What's the big deal?”

“Yata-san, it's dangerous! Kusanagi-san said we should go in together.”

“Well Kusanagi-san isn't here, is he? I never heard him say that anyway, as the leader of the Vanguard it's my job to make the orders, you just need to follow them!” 

“But Yata-san....”

“Just do what I say!” Yata barked as they honed in on the location, seeing Dewa and Chitose at the end of the alley way they approached them before coming to a halt. After explaining himself to them and listening to even more protest he set his orders in stone and waited until they were in position to execute his plan. A small spark in his palm soon coalesced into a ball of raging flames as he approached the warehouse, but to his surprise the door of the building was already taken out. Rather it was cut into two pieces. 

“Guess those Blues got here before we did,” he mumbled to himself as he examined the handiwork, his other hand rolled the bat on the side of the concrete idly. “Whatever, like hell will I let those bastards beat me to the punch.” 

Steeling himself, he broke the rest of the door into pieces, his aura springing to life under the skateboards wheels as he followed the small trail of destruction until he stumbled upon a small pool of blood. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself deeper into the heart of the building, wondering why it was so devoid of people. That was when the small voice in his mind- that he had so desperately tried to ignore- began to call to him again. His conscious pleaded with him. 

_Go now, something isn't right here._

_It's not safe here, go to the others._

_You have to leave._

It was a voice that became so deafening that he began to question whether or not if it was just a gut feeling or if someone was actually saying these things to him. The hallways seemed to whisper, the building itself seemed to groan and tell him to leave at once. However, a small gust of wind he felt come from a broken window pushed against him, as if it was beckoning him to come forward, to go deeper into the heart of that building that was more secluded than he once realized. 

Despite all of this, Yata let out a sigh and continued to ignore that feeling, he let the small gust of wind that hit his back be his reminder to continue onward until his job was complete. For the first time in a long time, he ignored his gut instinct and even he didn't realize the error in that decision until it was too late.

\- -

“Fushimi, the Captain was tipped off about this, would you mind going and doing some surveillance?” Seri sighed as she handed Saruhiko a file with several papers and profiles in it, upon scanning them over- along with the hand written note from the Captain himself which detailed the events that were likely to transpire- he couldn't help but scowl. 

“Yeah, I’m on it,” Saruhiko grunted incredulously as he put the information together piece by piece. If anything was to be trusted about the situation, it wasn't the anonymous tip they received but the facts presented about the people likely to be involved. They were all high risk Strains who in the recent months had opposed the Blue King and his rule over them, claiming that no single person who could not even begin to relate to them should have any sort of say in what they did with their lives. 

It was a bunch of nonsense, Saruhiko thought. That people who possessed overwhelming power and intended to do evil things with it were going to be upset about suffering from the repercussions of their actions. Truth be told, they were all wanted by Scepter 4 anyway. The moment he located them he'd report back to headquarters and they'd be arrested on charges ranging from murder to petty theft. 

It was a meeting that was supposed to take place that evening in a secluded warehouse in Shizume Town, not exactly their jurisdiction, which led him to believe that _those_ people would somehow try to become involved in that situation. Which was all the better in his opinion, a chance to take down several criminal Strains and tease Yata was too great to pass up.

The orders were for strictly surveillance only, but knowing that anything could happen and that he should be well prepared, he left his desk and proceeded to his room. Stocking up on the knives that were attached to his body harness as well as slipping an extra one up his other sleeve. After making sure they were all concealed, he dropped the file off in a bin on the side of the office door that read _Active Investigations_ and left without a word to anyone. 

Normally, even on simple missions like this, no one would be allowed to go alone, however, he was the one person Munakata Reisi was willing to break the rules for. For some reason or another, he had bent the rules to accommodate Saruhiko and his many talents and it wasn't a system Saruhiko was going to complain about, though he did complain about almost everything else work related. 

Knowing the paper work was going to be a _bitch_ whenever he did have new information about the Strains and the crime syndicate they seemed to be running, he wasn't exactly looking forward to this new mission but it certainly did beat stalking online chat rooms looking for new leads. 

By the time he arrived at the location, he found himself scowling at the lack of challenge in this assignment. Especially if Homura weren't to get involved, then this would be a simple job that anyone could have done. Why he had to the one was beyond him. 

He found a place to hide between the warehouse and another, a window was cracked open and from inside the building Saruhiko could make out several forms as they walked back and forth. The warehouse itself was basically empty and that was the one thing he found stranger than anything. It wasn't unusual that Scepter 4 received anonymous tips from concerned civilians or even other criminals who would use that as bargaining chips to get out of trouble themselves, and yet Saruhiko couldn't help but feel as if something was off about the entire situation.

Feeling like an idiot for it, he toyed with the knives up his sleeves as he listened in on the conversation.

“I'm telling you, if the Blue King wants a fight then we'll give 'em one. I’m sick and tired of having to listen to that guy and he's gonna get it if he keeps snooping 'round things that don't involve him.”

“Yeah! That guy doesn't have a clue what being one of us is like, he just thinks he's a god amongst men and can tell us what to do because of who he is.”

“What about the others? Think they'll get involved too?”

“Those punks from Homura? If they know what's good for 'em then they won't. Heard they were sniffing 'round cause someone told them about the drug ring we're running for cash.”

“I don't know 'bout that, boss. They ain't the only ones sniffing around here, if you know what I mean.”

Saruhiko ducked his head down a bit lower as he pulled a knife out from under his sleeve, feeling that somehow he had been caught even though he had been quiet as a mouse and hadn't once made himself seen. A knowing smile came to his lips, _of course it was a trap._

“Yeah, I know. Anyway, our numbers from last month are in.”

Frowning, Saruhiko listened carefully but he heard no footsteps approaching him. Suddenly his guard was down again and he felt like a fool for believing there was any way they could have known he was there, trap or no trap, he was out of sight and wasn't making a sound. He hadn't noticed any security cameras or motion detectors either, there wasn't a way in the world they knew he was there, even if had been a set up. 

“Ten million yen ain't bad for a months work, here's your cut.”

“Hell yeah! When the others get back are we gonna start the meeting?”

“Yeah, we'll get down to business. The sooner we have a bigger hold in this town the better, the easier it'll be to go against that bastard King.”

“Aye don't that Red King guy hate 'em too? Why can't we rely on them for help?”

“You dolt! You don't ask one King to help ya when you're going against another King! They're all the same, every last one of them. They want us gone and locked up 'cause we keep messing with their daily lives,” Saruhiko clicked his tongue at their arrogance as he tilted his head back, staring up at the window that was a mere foot above his head. This time, his intuition had been wrong. “Ain't that right, Blue Clansman?”

Before he could even register what had happened, the barely opened window above him shattered as an object fell a few inches away from Saruhiko's feet. With a look of sheer horror as he took in the outline of a grenade, he kicked it away before scrambling to the other side of the building. Barely having a chance to get away from it when the explosion went off, but instead of shrapnel and fire, smoke filtered out of it. 

Not sticking around to find out what it was, he grabbed a few more knives out from under his sleeve and drew his sword, slashing the iron door into two separate pieces as he quickly made his way inside the building. He heard four voices and a part of him hoped that those four people were who he thought they were, the weaker ones of the bunch. 

The moment he entered the building, two of them scattered off and out a door that looked like it led to a staircase that went downward. The other two, smirking like mad and with their own powers growing around them, charged at him head on. He let a knife rip through the air as he aimed at the person on his left, and then let out another. But to his surprise, the knives suspended in the air and refused to go any further than halfway in between them before they shifted around and flew back in his direction. Not having to time to dodge them and the wild swing of the other Strain, he took three knives to the arm and managed to land a sinister blow on the Strain he was locked in combat with.

Hissing- and knowing he didn't even have time to remove the knives from his skin-, he swung his sword with his good hand and slashed the first Strain in the chest before charging at the one who had turned his own weapons against him. 

He was well aware of the fact that the first two Strains that had left had come back up to the main floor and that they weren't alone. He knew he was slowly being surrounded and that his only escape routes were blocked off and that he was running out of options. He threw every single knife he had and managed to hold his ground for the better part of five minutes before a simple mistake on his part, pausing to remove the knives from his arm so he could use them again, wound up being his downfall. 

He felt a sharp pain radiate from the side of his head before the world went fuzzy, his vision blurring at the edges before he couldn't even see a few inches in front of him anymore. His footing faltered for a moment before he fell to his knees, clutching the side of his head as he listened to the hysterical laughter of the other people and the comments they made about how their _plan_ worked out perfectly. 

Before he hit the ground, Saruhiko wondered if the Captain knew this had been a trick all along. If reinforcements were just outside of his reach, and when he woke up again if he'd be in the infirmary at Scepter 4's headquarters. The last thing that run through his mind was the mistake he made that might have just cost him his life, and even then, Saruhiko couldn't help but think that he had been a fool for it.

_This was supposed to be easy...._

\- - 

**Two Days Later**

“I want eyes all over this city, we are not to take this matter lightly,” Munakata finished his address as he faced his clansmen. “All forces are to act according to their orders and any findings are to be immediately reported to Awashima-kun or myself immediately, understood?”

“Sir!”

“You are dismissed.”

“Sir, may we have a word?” Seri spoke softly as she watched the other clansmen disappear out of the room in order to follow the protocols put in place. Munakata's expression was the same as ever, a sly smile on his lips but the look in his eyes was grim, as if even he could not shake the full magnitude of the situation.

“Of course, Awashima-kun.”

“Are we sure something has happened to Fushimi? It's true, he's never vanished like this before and he has never missed work...but are we certain he isn't elsewhere?”

“Are you insinuating that perhaps Fushimi-kun has defected, Awashima-kun?” The tone in Reisi's voice was harsh, and yet he said it all with a straight face. Seri, however, couldn't even begin to cover her panicked expression. “I'm certain that Fushimi-kun would have said something if he had chosen another path for himself, if you have any doubts...this should speak for itself.”

Seri's eyes widened as Munakata slipped an object out of a plastic evidence bag and handed it over to her, she took it in her hands with a frown. “His knife harness....”

“His PDA has also been destroyed and his sword was dropped off this morning as was his Scepter 4 coat, not to alarm you but it was covered in blood that we have verified is Fushimi-kun's.”

“Did you think that that information could have been a trap at any point, Captain?”

“It pains me to say that it did not, the person who called has provided us with information in the past that all checked out without incident. It never crossed my mind and this is the result. I suspect that we will be contacted shortly with regards to a negotiation. A hostage situation is a low blow, even for these criminals, but we do know what they want and I’m prepared to feign understanding until this matter is resolved.” Munakata explained as he took the fully loaded knife harness back into his hands. 

“I...I'm the one who sent him out alone,” Seri confessed with a slight shake of her head. “I accept full responsibility for his kidnapping.”

“Nonsense, you were following orders, Awashima-kun.” Reisi reassured her as he put the evidence back in it's bag, “this was an unpredictable matter. The only person at fault is myself and I take the blame for this, we will look to change our line of thinking after we handle this situation. For now, let us concern ourselves with finding Fushimi-kun.”

“Sir,” Seri said courtly as she saluted and politely excused herself from the room, even so, she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for it nonetheless. Feeling as if her hands were tied, she grabbed her PDA and placed a phone call to the only person she knew that had reliable information.

“This is bar HOMRA, Kusanagi speaking.”

“Izumo,” she whispered into the receiver, feeling her breath catch awkwardly in her throat.

“Seri-chan?”

“Y-yes, I was wondering if you had any information on the crime syndicates operated by Strains that are based out of Shizume.”

“Of course I do...wait...how did you know we were having a problem with one of them?”

“You are?” Now that took her by surprise, glancing out of a window she stared off into the direction of where the warehouse was and felt her heart beat achingly rise. 

“We're not exactly sure what happened, but Yata has been missing since Monday afternoon. I sent him and a couple of guys over to a warehouse off of Sunset Street and being the idiot he is he went in alone, when the others got the feeling something was wrong they went in after him but there's been no sign of him since then.”

“Fushimi-kun...was also going to that warehouse around that time and he's also come up missing,” Seri explained as the horror she felt slowly began to show on her face. In the window, she could see her reflection and it only continued to add to the severity of the situation.

“You're serious? Damn thugs...” Izumo cursed on the other end of the line before he let out a sigh, “I dunno anything helpful as of now but we're pulling out all the stops to find Yata. If he and Fushimi are together somewhere then we'll find out but if it turns out they really have been kidnapped....”

“Someone returned Fushimi's personal belongings to us...they were covered in blood, his blood. I don't believe Yatagarasu is capable of doing such a thing, despite their hate for one another, at this point in time we are treating this as a hostage situation. I cannot tell you and your clan how to operate but I highly urge you to consider the same hypothesis.” 

“Dammit, you're right,” Izumo agreed as he let out a painful sounding sigh. “Mikoto's not too happy about this but of course he wants to handle this personally, I suspect he won't be willing to listen to much reason at this point. Not even Totsuka has been able to keep him from seething for the last twenty four hours. Anna can't put a finger to where they could be either.”

“It's not like Scepter 4 would work with Homura on this either,” Seri breathed out as she turned away from the window and proceeded to the building's front exit. “As for Anna's empathic abilities...well, you should know that a few of the Strains we were profiling from this particular syndicate have rather bothersome abilities.” She paused to take a deep breath before launching back into her explanation.

“One man in particular is called the Repeater by his peers, like a cell phone tower repeater, he has the ability to bounce signals to different locations without the ability to narrow it down to one particular location. Thus, giving him a greater range of where his location could be. It seemed like a senseless ability at first, until he was put on house arrest and could slip out of his home without a problem because of it. Now, he enjoys messing with GPS signals and people's internal directions, he can make a person completely lost in an area they live in.”

“I suppose something like that could also be used to counteract Anna's abilities,” Izumo noted.

“My thoughts exactly, the next person on the list is perhaps the most dangerous, he has the ability of telekinesis. The next down would be a man that has the ability to heal himself and others at will, you can understand why that is a problem.” 

“And all of these people escaped that day from the research facility?”

“Some, yes, others were imprisoned and freed at some point after the facility fell to ruin. It's likely that they are unhappy with the way the Captain has treated them and set out strict guidelines to follow that they are acting the way they are. Even though they're nothing but criminals, knowing that Scepter 4 has any say over their lives is not something they're happy about.” Seri told him as she made her way out to the courtyard in need of a breath of fresh air, the sky over head was dark and cloudy, hinting at the rain they were due to have at any moment now. 

In her eyes, it felt as if the sky was mocking her. 

“So you think they took Fushimi to negotiate some kind of agreement and Yata was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, right?”

“That's exactly what I’m saying.”

“Well...just because our Kings don't want to share information doesn't mean you and I can't keep each other posted, you know,” Izumo laughed but the sound itself was bittersweet.

“If you let me know if you find anything then I will do the same for you,” she concluded, knowing it would certainly be against her Captain's wishes but then again, if it led them to where Fushimi was being held she couldn't see a downside to it. 

“All right...be careful out there, Seri-chan.”

“Right,” she mumbled into the receiver as she ended the call and gazed up at the sky above the courtyard. A drop of water pelted down on her face, hitting the top of her cheek before sliding down her neck, the frown on her lips pressed into a thin line.

_We will find you, no matter what it takes._


	2. Mercy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yata and Saruhiko never expected to see each other in a place like that, but they also never expected to be each other's Achilles heel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to go ahead and get a real chapter of this posted, so here it is! Ta-da! Each chapter will kind of show us a glimpse of Scepter 4 or Homura (sometimes both) and their reactions/plans for things but this chapter is focused on getting Yata and Saruhiko's established, as well as introducing them to their new (awful) way of life (because I am a terrible person who has always wanted to write something dark like this). 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left me kudos or comments, as always they are more than appreciated. :)
> 
> Warnings for the chapter: Violence, and idiots yelling over things that don't matter.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!~

“Ugh...” the groan that escaped Yata's mouth was involuntary, something fueled by an aching sensation that radiated from his temple throughout the rest of his head. He clutched onto as he rolled on his side, eyes slowly opening as he registered his surroundings piece by piece. The light overhead was nearly blinding, stronger than any LED light he had ever seen before, which didn't help the fact that the room he was in was composed of nothing but objects bathed in white paint. 

A white twin sized mattress was stashed on the floor on one corner, and in the bathroom adjacent to it was all white appliances with another equally blinding light overhead. Fear blossomed in his chest as he pushed himself off the ground, his arms shaking in the process as the pain threatened to send him back under but what he saw on the ground stopped him from giving into it. A small pool of blood laid where he had once been. 

Tearing his eyes away he forced himself to look behind him, and any sort of fear he felt beforehand turned into confusion as he realized he was not alone in the room. What he hadn't expect, however, was for the person a few feet away from him to be none other than Fushimi Saruhiko. Suddenly feeling annoyed, he pulled himself over the smooth laminate floor until he towered over his unconscious form. It was then that he noticed what he hadn't been able to see before.

There was a nasty cut on the side of Saruhiko's head that looked as if had only just stopped bleeding, underneath him was a massive pool of blood that did nothing but send a wave of panic over Yata- who in turn flipped Saruhiko on his back to examine where it had come from. Sighing out of relief when he realized it was just his arm and nothing entirely vital, he checked for any openly bleeding and felt himself relax a little when he realized it was already clotted. 

Which only left two questions left in his mind. One, how the hell did he wind up there? And two, why the hell was Saruhiko with him?

“Oi,” he spat out as he lightly shook him, being somewhat mindful of the way his head rolled on the ground considering his current stare. “Wake up, Saru!”

“Shut up.”

“Saruhiko!”

“Misaki?”

The way he said his name without the slightest bit of taunting sent a chill down his spine but he only sneered at him like usual, “what the hell are you doing here?”

“What about you, Misaki? Why are you here?”

“Eh...come to think of it, I don't know actually.” Yata admitted as he placed his palms behind him and put most of his weight on them. “Speaking of _here_ , where exactly are we?”

“Dunno,” Saruhiko hissed as he attempted to sit up right, without even thinking Yata reached out to help him, only to be snickered at. “I don't need your help.”

“Your arm is kinda fucked, I doubt you can do that without my help,” Yata huffed as he wrapped an arm around Saruhiko and helped him into an upright position.

“I'm not dead but this already hell,” Saruhiko laughed darkly as he took in his surroundings, seemingly unaware of the fact he was sitting in a stagnant pool of his own blood. “My coat and weapons are gone, too.”

“What were you doing before this happened?” Yata sighed as he pulled himself a few feet downward so he could rest his back against one of the room's walls. 

“That's none of your business, _Misaki_.”

“You bastard, this is serious! Can you give me a straight answer for once?!”

“I was on a mission to gather some information thanks to an anonymous tip, guess it really was a set up. It's a bit foggy.”

“At a warehouse off of Sunset, I guess?”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck, I knew something was fishy about that whole scenario,” Yata groaned as he looked down at his wrist for the time, but like everything else he had brought with him, it was nowhere in sight. “My watch!”

“It's just a watch, _Misaki_.”

“It's not just a watch, it's the watch that you ma-” Yata stopped himself before he could finish his sentence but that didn't stop Saruhiko from catching on. 

“I thought you had your other watch now, you know, the one that actually functions like a PDA.” Saruhiko snorted as he too scooted over to the wall and leaned up against it, both of their eyes traveled to the blood on the floor.

“Not today, I grabbed that one instead.” Yata admitted with a small shake of his head, “I'll get it back so it doesn't matter. I wonder what time it is.”

“Who knows, kidnappers usually don't provide clocks to their prisoners,” Saruhiko laughed bitterly as he cradled his injured arm to his chest. “This was supposed to be a simple job, why did this have to happen? Now I'm stuck in here with you of all people.”

“Oi, I feel the same way, you know!” Yata yelled back at him though it did nothing but cause his head to hurt even worse, judging by the way Saruhiko winced he could assume the same went for him. “Never mind how we got here, let's just try to think of a way out.”

“Check the door but I bet it's locked, there's no windows in here so that's ruled out,” Saruhiko sighed as Yata scrambled up to his feet, approaching the white painted iron door with a frown as his hand went to the doorknob. No surprise, it was locked. 

“Dammit, this blows! What kind of kidnappers leave their pri-” with an exclamation of surprise, Yata fell backwards on the ground as the door swung open. Scampering back to where he was seated, he watched as two men in all white attire and white face masks devoid of any color- even the mesh over the eyes and mouth was white and a hood covered their hair- entered the room. 

“Red and Blue clansmen, allow us to introduce ourselves to you.” The first man spoke with a deep yet monotone voice as he took a small step towards them, “you may call me Repeater, my real name is of no use to you here. And this is my partner, Healer, his real name is of no use to you either. You might not have noticed but I would like for the both of you to check your ankles at this time.”

With a confused expression, Yata turned his attention to said body part and felt his eyes grow a bit wide at what he saw. It looked like an ordinary silver bracelet to him but this one had a blinking red light in the center of it, which was what had him raising his eyebrows.

“Originally those were designed to keep the powers of a Strain at bay, as I'm sure the Blue clansman knows.”

“I have a name,” Saruhiko retorted with a bland expression.

“Not in here you don't,” Repeater spat back at him, “interrupt me one more time and I will cut your tongue out.”

Yata glanced at Saruhiko in a panic and with a silent plea attached to his gaze, and luckily, Saruhiko didn't say anything after that. Only clicked his tongue before glaring back up at the two men in white.

“As I was saying, those have been modified once again. You can try to use your powers but you will find that they are of no use to you here,” Repeater finished with a small wave. Yata nor Saruhiko dared to try anything in front of them to test whether or not it was true. “We will now go over your schedules for your time spent here with us.”

“Oi, why are we here anyway?” Yata growled before he could stop himself, though he felt a slight bit of fear arise when he remembered how rudely that man had threatened Saruhiko after being interrupted. 

“Good question, Red clansman, you are here because of your own faults. We had no intention of involving you but you were simply here and we could not let you go. We have business to settle with the Blue King in regards to laws he has passed against us and since you are here, we will use you to bargain with the Red King so he stops hunting us down. Does that make sense to you?” 

“I guess?” Yata called back hesitantly, wondering if they were well behaved if that would save them from whatever else they had in mind. Somewhere out there, he knew his fellow clansman and his King were looking for him and that gave him peace of mind. Once Mikoto got ahold of them there would be no trace of their existence left behind except on paper, he'd burn them to the point that no ash would even remain in their wake. Of that much he was sure. 

“Good, now let us begin with your schedules. You will be woken up at an undisclosed hour every morning and Healer will rid you of your wounds from the day prior. After which, you are expected to shower and change clothes, eat what you are given for the day- which will depend on how well you behave the day before- and wait until Healer and I return for you. There are thirty eight people in this building that are aware of your presence, if you are ever to attempt to escape they each reserve the right to punish you. That is part one.”

Yata bit his lip as the first few words rang over and over again in his head, _rid us of our wounds from the day before? Are these people serious?_

“Part two is your rules, when either of us are in the room you are to not use your names, you are not to say either of them. The punishment will vary depending on how often you have failed to comply. Failure to comply with us at any point in time will be taken seriously with the starting punishment being no food for twenty four hours and the increments increase by twelve hours for each time you fail to meet those standards.”

“You will be moved by us at an undisclosed hour for your daily atonement, you may blame your Kings for your pain until they meet our requirements, we are not open to negotiation. We will keep you here for as long as we see fit but we are not afraid to dispose of you at any point in time either. In one weeks time we will allow each of you to contact your respective Kings with our demands, they have twenty four hours to respond appropriately and if they fail to do so we will wait two weeks again before attempting to contact them. Do you have any questions?”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Saruhiko laughed dryly as he glared at the two masked men, “if you think you can use scare tactics to get what you want you're only kidding yourselves. Once they find out our location you're as good as dead.”

“They will not find you, rest assured of that, Blue clansman.” Healer responded in an equally monotone voice that showed no remorse for the things they had done or the things they were speaking of doing. 

“What if they do find us though? What then?” Yata questioned as an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach, to his left, Saruhiko looked less than concerned but he wondered if he was bluffing. 

“Then we will exterminate you before they can reach you, a break out is not an option.”

“Bullshit,” Saruhiko snorted under his breath, and although neither of the masked men made a move towards him, someone else walked through the door. 

“Please take the Blue Clansman to the chamber immediately, it seems like he can't mind his tongue, it might do him some good not to have it.”

“You can't be serious!” Yata wailed as he defensively put an arm in front of Saruhiko, ignoring his apparent annoyance at him for it. “Please, it's our first day here, can you not cut him some slack?”

“I don't need you to defend me,” Saruhiko growled as he pushed his arm away. “This is so stupid.”

“I will be lenient this one time, but you will do good not to interrupt us in the future.” Repeater informed them as he waved off the new man who had entered the room. “For the remainder of today you will be allowed to sleep, but your new life begins tomorrow. We have prepared a tray of food for each of you,” he paused as he waved in two other masked men who carried in two plates of food- which were covered. “Goodbye for now, Red and Blue clansman.”

Yata watched them walk out of the door and listened for a click of a lock before he pulled himself off the ground, going over to the tray skeptically as he placed a hand over the lid. The moment he finally had the nerve to remove it he felt as if he would be sick. “Yuck!” He yelped as he slammed the lid back onto the table, shaking off the sight of the molded bread and the insects that had wormed their way in and out of it. With reluctance, he checked the other tray. Sighing in relief when he realized the bread there was neither molded nor infested.

“I'm not eating that,” Saruhiko said blandly as he managed to get to his feet. “I'm going to test out the bathroom and think of a way out of here.”

“Fine by me, but I'm only gonna take half of this,” Yata sighed as he broke the bread into two separate pieces, eying the glasses of water for a moment before he picked one up in his other hand. “You should at least try to eat something, Monkey.”

“Tch,” Saruhiko grunted as he limped towards the bathroom and began testing out the sinks and the shower, Yata frowned as he peaked his head in the door way. 

“They don't work?”

“Hold on,” Saruhiko breathed out as he picked up a piece of laminated paper that was laid out on the counter. “It says water will be available for one hour after we wake up, that's it.”

“They're really going all out to put on a show, do you think they're bluffing?” Yata inquired as he tentatively took a bit of the bread in his hand, feeling relief wash over him when he realized there was nothing visibly wrong with it. 

“Who knows,” Saruhiko mumbled as he walked out of the bathroom and sat back down in the same spot he had been in before, his eyes wandered to the blood on the center of the floor. “I bet they'll clean this place up, what they're trying to do is obvious.”

“Obvious? Heh, maybe to someone like you but to me I think this is all bullshit,” Yata whined as he flung himself down on the stiff mattress, careful to avoid spilling the water in his hands. 

“Are you that dumb, _Misaki_? These are the simplest torture techniques in the book, they're amateurs.” Saruhiko laughed but it only added to Yata's confusion. Sensing this, Saruhiko rolled his eyes before explaining, “not using our names means they're trying to strip us of our identity.”

“What's the point of that? I'm not gonna forget who I am.” Yata spat back with venom, taking out his rage on Saruhiko- who this time, he felt didn't deserve it. 

“You're so dense, _Misaki_. The goal is to inflict pain and not allow you to use your name so you feel as if you have no identity. If my assumption is correct then these lights will never go out and these walls will be kept white and pristine, it's stuff that's supposed to drive you insane.” Saruhiko chuckled as he evaluated his arm, “typical, this could be a bad situation.”

“Mikoto-san will be here before these fools even have a chance, I’m not scared,” Yata lied through his teeth, but it was obvious and Saruhiko only clicked his tongue at him for it.

“ _Mikoto-san_ would only get us killed if he tried something like that,” Saruhiko reminded him. “The Captain will resolve this but in the meantime, I’m just gonna do whatever I can to survive. This is so tedious, being with you is torture enough, right _Misaki_?”

“This is all the Blue King's fault anyway, if only he would have done something about the Strains then we wouldn't even be here!” Yata shouted at him out of blind rage, “blaming Mikoto-san for this is something only an idiot like you would do! And while I'm at it, stop calling me by my first name, it's fucking creepy when you say it!”

“Is that all you know how to say, _Misaki_? It's always _Mikoto-san_ this and _Mikoto-san_ that! If your King would have handled these goons months ago then we wouldn't even be in this place!” Saruhiko shot back with a cocky grin.

“This is gonna be hell.”

\- -

“Rise and shine, Blue and Red clansman.”

The moment Yata opened his eyes the first thing he saw was Saruhiko slumped over in the corner of the room, barely stirring as two of the masked men came into the room and made their presence known. 

“I will now heal you of your wounds,” the man- Healer as he was called- said as a gray aura began to surround himself, without having the energy to protest, both Yata and Saruhiko were encased in that light. Yata shivered as the cool energy closed the wound on his head and relieved him of the pain he felt as a result, across the way, he watched as the puncture wounds on Saruhiko's arm disappeared and the slash on his head vanished, too.

“Your meal for the day is under the new trays we've placed on the ground here,” Healer informed them as the other man removed the other trays. “You have one hour to eat and shower then Repeater and I will collect you and take you to Slasher.”

“What kind of bogus names are those,” Saruhiko laughed as he pulled himself off the ground, leaning on the wall for added support as the foreign aura vanished around him and Yata both.

“Oi, before you go,” Yata called after them, watching as the two men paused in the door way. “Is a piece of bread all you're gonna give us for food? Saruhiko might be able to survive on that but I can't.”

“Is that right?” Healer's companion laughed as he looked back before turning around and reentering the room. Yata's fists clenched when the man drew closer to him, and considering the man's stature and his lack of powers, he suddenly felt helpless as the man grabbed him by the front of his shirt before striking him with a closed fist on the side of his face. Yata coughed awkwardly as he bit his tongue, blood rushed past his teeth and trickled down his lip but before he could face forward again, the man's fist struck him in the cheek- in the same spot as before.

“Your first mistake was saying that name, your second was questioning our decisions, do you understand what you've done wrong?”

“Fuck you,” Yata spluttered as blood soaked the sheet below him, his eyes glared back at the concealed ones behind the mask. Though he couldn't see it, he felt the other man's gaze shift over to him before a knee sharply came up and collided with his stomach. He winced as soon as the contact was made and curled up in a ball the moment the hold on him was dropped, yet he held the man's gaze- seething with anger as he watched them leave the room with the promise to return in another hour. 

“Idiot,” Saruhiko snickered as he approached the food tray and flipped them both open, grabbing a piece of the bread before he made his way to the bathroom, leaving Yata to writhe for a moment before he had the strength to get up and attempt to eat something himself. After forcing himself to finish the bland bread, he waited for Saruhiko to reemerge from the bathroom- in all white attire- before he slipped in the door. Another set of clothes sat on the counter for him and a bag that was labeled with his name, with instructions to discard of his clothes on it. 

Sighing, he forced himself into the shower and let out a shuttered breath when the cold water hit his body. He took time to examine the bruise already forming on his stomach before he washed his hair and exited the shower. A small towel waited for him on the rack and on the counter there was a bag for that, too. After realizing they wouldn't be given any sort of personal health items, he pulled the clothes on over him before running a hand over his chin. Wondering if he'd even be given a chance to shave- which was a strange thing to think of but it was helping him keep his sanity at this point. 

There was no mirror in the bathroom, which was another added annoyance, but he was thankful that they at least provided him with a shower and a toilet- he didn't want to imagine not having access to those. After using the bathroom and reluctantly releasing his clothes and beloved hat, he went back to the main room and grabbed his glass of water. Finishing it in one gulp before he settled on the mattress again, eyes lingering on the blood he left behind before he glanced over at Saruhiko.

“Oi, why do you look so anxious?”

“Not anxious, I’m annoyed,” Saruhiko corrected him though he didn't glance up from his glass of water.

“I see...so why'd you just sit there and let that guy hit me?! You didn't even say anything, you just called me an idiot for it!”

“Shut up, _Misaki_.”

“Whatever,” Yata barked under his breath as he brought his knees to his chest, trying to hide his own anxiety over what was about to transpire. 

_Mikoto-san...please hurry...._

\- -

“Say it!” The man named Slasher screamed in Yata's face as he worked the knife back under his shirt, pressing another deep line across his skin. But Yata only hissed again, made no indication of understanding as he struggled against his restraints and watched Saruhiko's almost bothered expression change into blind rage.

“He's not gonna say it,” Saruhiko spoke up as Slasher turned his attention to him, “I'll say it for him. If it's any consolation, me saying it would hurt him just as badly.”

“Saruhi-” Slasher's free hand clamped down on his side, fingers digging through the thin fabric to settle in his fresh wounds, he howled in pain as he felt blood drench the white cotton shirt and onto his assailant's hand. 

“Fine then, Blue clansman,” Slasher countered as he let go of Yata- who took a deep breath and hung his head- though he kept his eyes trained on Saruhiko. “Tell him how you really feel about the Red King, since he won't say a bad thing about him.”

“Suoh Mikoto is a lazy man who has nothing to show for himself, other than a clan of thugs that think they're badder than they really are.” Saruhiko chuckled as he glanced up at Slasher, “is that good enough for you, and _Misaki_?”

Yata watched with bated breath as Slasher viciously sank his fist in Saruhiko's stomach, but the latter barely flinched as he caught his breath. Seeing that hurt him nearly as much as hearing those words did. They had been at this for what felt like forever but in all reality was probably only forty minutes. It had begun simply enough, they were chained to walls apposing each other and while he had fought tooth and nail, he had only been the first one to suffer as a result.

He counted twenty six cuts on his torso and seven on his upper extremities, but he found those so worthless in comparison to what they had expected him to say about someone who was not only his King but also his partner.

_Suoh Mikoto is not my King and he is nothing to me._

That was what Slasher had wanted him to say, and of course it was something he would rather die than do. Saruhiko insulting Mikoto was nothing new, but this time around Yata had to wonder if he did it to save him from further pain or if he did it to get under his skin, like usual. Either way, he chose to ignore the dull stinging in his body and the ache in his heart. 

“Good enough for now, punk,” Slasher laughed as he cracked his knuckles before walking over to a small table in the center of the room, laying the knife on it as he grabbed a bottle of clear fluid. “Red clansman, you okay with fire?”

“What's that supposed to mean?” Yata shot back as he glanced between Slasher and Saruhiko- whose eyes widened as he turned to look at the white clad man. 

“I'm gonna set you on fire, think it'll hurt?”

“I think you've lost your damn mind,” Yata laughed to mask his worry. “That's not gonna bother me.”

“We'll start small for today, just your arm will do.” Slasher agreed as he grabbed the bottle between his hands and approached him, with his foot, he lowered his left arm until it was out at his side before dousing his bare skin in the fowl smelling liquid. Satisfied, Slasher backed up to admire his work before peaking his head into a small closet on the other side of the room. He came back with a water hose in hand before fishing in his pocket for a lighter. “What do you think, Blue clansman?”

“Don't ask me,” Saruhiko added with a click of his tongue but the look on his face said otherwise. 

“Forget that guy, your focus is me, isn't it?” Yata growled as he attempted to call forth his aura, but instead of being engulfed in his flames, he was swallowed by the flames sparked by kerosene and the spark of a lighter. He didn't even have time to scream as the fire charred his flesh before someone else was calling out, telling his tormenter to douse the flames and that it was enough. 

The water hurt as bad as the initial contact, the water pressure felt as if his skin was being blown to pieces but when finally had the guts to look over at his arm he realized that wasn't far from the truth. He groaned, tears springing to the corners of his eyes involuntarily as he took in the sight of his singed limb. 

“Second degree burns are the most painful, did you know that?” Slasher laughed as he admired his handiwork, “third degree kills the nerve endings, it gets a bit pointless when it reaches that stage. Good call, Blue clansman.”

“That's enough,” Saruhiko repeated as he shot Misaki an almost concerned expression, “it's the Blue King you have a problem with, why bother with a Red clansman?”

“I heard you two were friends back in the day,” Slasher said sternly as he wrapped a hand around Yata's arm, putting unwanted pressure on the worst of the burn marks- which in turn left Yata yelping as he attempted to pull his arm away. “Judging by the look on your face, hurting him bothers you, don't it?”

_Saruhiko?_

“You don't know the first thing about me,” Saruhiko shot back, “give me all you've got.”

“With pleasure.”

Yata watched on out of horror as Slasher punched Saruhiko in the stomach before repeating the action. The more he struggled against the restraints the more it jarred his already jostled and injured body but he found it less painful than the look on Saruhiko's face. No matter how hard he tried, after awhile it was apparent that Saruhiko was losing his sense of reality, threatening to go out cold as one more blow landed on the side of his face, his glasses falling in a broken mess on the floor beneath them. 

“Stop!” Yata finally called out, feeling sick to his stomach when Saruhiko's pained eyes met his own. Slasher paused, glancing back at him with what he supposed was an amused expression under the mask he wore. Tears stung his eyes, as he weakly pulled against the iron cuffs on his wrists and feet. “Just...stop....”

“Why should I?”

“I-I can't g-give you an answer...” Yata admitted as he hung his head, feeling Slasher approach him out of curiosity before he grabbed Yata by his hair and forced his head up, his eyes staring back into the white mesh in front of him.

“You want me to stop?”

“P-pl-please.”

“Not a chance.”

**CRACK.**

\- -

**Monday Night, 6 Hours After Yata's Disappearance  
Location: Bar HOMRA**

“Any word?”

“Sorry, Kusanagi-san...we've got nothing.”

“How could you just let Yata go in there alone?” Izumo sighed as he pinched his brow, “Mikoto is gonna kill you guys.”

“For what?”

“E-eh, Mikoto-san!” Chitose yelped as he stepped out of the Red King's way and let him down the stairs. 

“Mikoto, we've got bad news, I’m afraid.” Izumo informed him as he pulled a bottle of whiskey off the shelf and grabbed a glass, “have a seat.”

“What is it?” Mikoto inquired as he slid into a bar stool, eying everyone in the room warily before he turned back to Izumo.

“It's Yata...” at this Mikoto snatched the glass out of the bartender's hand, taking a long sip of the whiskey before he slammed the glass down on the table. “He's...he ran off like an idiot after that guy and...they found this and his skateboard in the warehouse. No sign of Yata yet.”

Mikoto frowned as he plucked the watch up off the counter and examined it, noticing how nothing on it was broken, he clutched it between his hand before glancing back up at the blond. 

“We're gonna look for him, we're really sorry Mikoto-san...we shouldn't have let him talk us into his plan.” A teary eyed Kamamoto bowed with his apology before he, Dewa and Chitose left out of the front exit. Being alone in the bar now, Mikoto glanced up at Izumo- and while nothing on his face changed, a glimmer of worry passed over his eyes.

“We'll find him, Mikoto...but you're gonna go out and look for him, aren't you?”

“Ah.”

“Mikoto?”

Suoh grabbed his coat and cigarettes off of the couch and left the bar, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the glass on the front part of the building. Izumo stared at the empty space where Yata once stood- arguing with Kamamoto over something completely trivial- and he almost wished he could go back in time, stop them from ever leaving on the job he had set out for them. Anna was with Totsuka for the night but as soon as he got a hold of them he planned on having her look for him, knowing he was out there by himself and possibly in trouble didn't sit well with him at all. Sighing, he shook his head as he got back to work, “where are you, Yata-chan? Worrying us like this....”

The whole time he cleaned the shelves, his eyes kept flitting back over to the front door and the skateboard that laid beside it, half expecting- half wishing- that Yata would walk through the door any moment and take it in his hands. But the hours ticked by, and the only person that was in the bar that night was Izumo himself- and something about that, made his mind fill with regret. 

“Hang in there, kid.”


	3. Identity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saruhiko wonders when enough will be enough for him, Yata hits his breaking point and makes a heroic sacrifice, Mikoto gets a devastating wake up call, and Reisi's emotions come to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for all the comments (which I will reply to tomorrow when I'm not a zombie) and kudos! They really do feed my motivation! ;D
> 
> This chapter we get an in-depth look at Scepter 4 and Homura and how certain people are coping, but the next chapter will only show a little of them as we get back to our two boys in serious trouble. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

“S-Saru...can you help me get to the bed?” 

“I can't even move.”

“I can't move either, my legs broke, my arms singed all to hell, and my body hurts so _fucking_ bad.”

“I'll try,” Saruhiko finally agreed as he flipped on his back from where they both laid at the foot of the door, the bright lights overhead blinded him and despite the fact he no longer had his glasses, he was suddenly thankful that he could see directly in front of him. Granted, everything in the background was a blur, but having things the other way around would have been tedious. This whole situation was tedious to him, actually. 

In comparison to Yata, he had gotten off easy for the day. A few broken ribs, some bone deep lacerations, and a broken nose were nothing in comparison to the devastation that was wreaked upon Yata's body. He hated how much that bothered him. 

Somehow, he managed to get to his knees and wrap an arm around Yata's waist, pausing when he grabbed hold of his good leg as he gently brought Yata into his chest. He hissed when his body hit the shattered ribs in his chest but even that sound was nothing compared to the way Yata screamed in utter agony. It was a sound Saruhiko never wanted to hear again. 

He took shaky steps forward until his feet hit the mattress in the corner of the room, and from there he somehow found a way to place Yata on the bed without jostling him too badly again. 

“There,” he mumbled before he collapsed beside the bed, clutching his chest with his good hand while he examined the other- cringing at the way his fingernails had been savagely removed. 

“Saru...” Yata coughed as he reached out for him, cradling his singed arm to his chest. “I re-really tried to get him to stop, you know....”

“Yeah, I know,” Saruhiko sighed, an annoyed expression on his face. 

“I hate these people, every last one of them is gonna die the most painful of deaths.”

“Sleep, Misaki.”

“Saru....”

“Just sleep,” Saruhiko spat as he wrapped his arms around himself, laying down on the ground beside the small mattress as he listened to his own labored breathing and Yata's pain filled whimpers before he somehow managed to find sleep.

\- -

_“Rise and shine, Blue and Red Clansman.”_

_I will now heal you of your wounds._

Those two phrases were quickly becoming the bane of Saruhiko's existence. As if waking up every morning was some sort of gift and having their wounds healed was supposed to atone for the ones they'd only receive after that was said and done. 

It was day four, and every time Saruhiko felt as if his body was on the limit of death, the torture would stop and he and Yata would be returned into that always immaculately cleaned white room. Someone would come in and wash away all of the blood and change the sheets daily, leaving a new stack of white clothes and a new towel for them, and on today's occasion- after two days without it due to their behavior- food. 

He ate the stale bread with a look of disgust marred on his face as he watched Yata force himself to eat, his hands shaking every time he reached for another bite or his glass of water. Upon thinking of the files he had read- something that helped him keep his sanity whenever Slasher was sticking him with knives or trying to drown him in a tub of ice water- he recalled one man in particular who fit Slasher's profile. 

While he couldn't remember a name, he remembered one thing for certain, he was a Strain who could see someone's worst nightmares- and apparently had no problem making them a reality. What Saruhiko found odd was the way Slasher operated, he wasn't afraid of drowning- though he didn't exactly like the idea of it- but he knew that Yata had once said that was the one he didn't want to go- despite the fact he loved the water. 

Then again, it was apparent that Slasher was using Saruhiko's fears against Yata and vise versa, he involuntarily shivered as he remembered the way Yata's skin blistered and charred after a particularly gruesome run in with flames. 

Saruhiko thought he was holding up well, he did whatever he had to do and said whatever he had to say in order to keep living but Yata seemed to be the complete opposite of him. Yata refused to say a bad word about Suoh Mikoto and that was becoming an increasingly challenging part of his problem. Saruhiko had no qualms about lying and saying Munakata Reisi was worthless in his eyes, it was just a petty lie to keep himself safe and he didn't think anything of it. 

Yata, however, wouldn't even let someone say something bad about his precious _Mikoto-san_ before he would go into a blind rage- and cost them their meals for the day or two. Saruhiko could only wonder if Yata would stop that first or if they'd starve to death before that happened. Either way, he mentally gave the Kings three more days to attempt to rescue them- which would be the day they were allowed to send a video message to their Kings with the demands the Strains had- and if they weren't there after that then he reasoned they wouldn't show up at all. 

After all, it wasn't like they couldn't be replaced.

“Saruhiko?”

“What is it?” he responded dryly as he chewed on the bread, vowing to never eat that particular food if he was ever allowed out of that place.

“I don't wanna go today,” Yata mumbled sadly as he brought his knees to his chest. “The wounds are gone but I can still _feel_ them, I can't do this anymore.”

“It's only been four days and you're already cracking?” Saruhiko snorted as he shot him a dirty look, “give up now if you want, _Misaki_. But then you'll never see your idiot King, again.”

“Don't say that about him!” Yata sharply shouted back at him, something that made a smirk rise to Saruhiko's lips- knowing that while Yata hated these people around them that even he could still remain the most hated if all he had to do was talk down upon Suoh Mikoto. “You don't know the first thing about him anyway.”

“And you do?” Saruhiko inquired with a raised eyebrow.

“Better than you probably think,” Yata huffed as he seemed to go back to his usual self, if only a little bit. Though what he said was a bit troubling to Saruhiko for reasons he couldn't explain. “Mikoto-san is more than a King to me.”

“He's your hero, I get that, enough worshiping.”

“He's not just my hero either, Monkey!” Yata growled as clenched his hands into fists, “he's my...tch, you wouldn't understand even if I told you.”

“I'm not an idiot like you, Misaki. You can say things the first time and I'll understand them,” Saruhiko laughed as he pushed himself off of the ground, thankful that for the first time that day that he wasn't in constant agony. As he made his way to the bathroom he heard Yata call for him, and so he paused with his hand on the doorknob. 

“He's my boyfriend, you get it now, Monkey?”

“Boyfriend, huh?” Saruhiko giggled as he looked over his shoulder, “what does he see in you? More importantly, what do you see in him? He's nothing, Misaki.”

“He's not nothing!” Yata yelled back at him, “he's a lot of things that you could never even begin to understand! Why am I even wasting my time explaining this to a traitor like you?”

“Is that all, Misaki? I need to shower and you need to mentally prepare yourself for whatever today brings,” Saruhiko snorted as he stepped into the bathroom, slamming the door before he leaned up against it. Bracing his hands on his knees, he took a deep breath, wondering why saying that to Yata made him feel so terrible. 

To him, this place was nothing, that was what he told himself everyday when he woke up. That compared to what he went through as a child that this was _child's play_ , and even so, he never once believed himself. He, like Yata, wanted nothing more than to return to the place he had grown so comfortable at. He didn't want to be here any longer than he had to either, and he certainly wasn't prepared for what the day held- despite how viciously he had chastised Yata for it. 

Shrugging off their entire conversation- even his new found understanding of Yata and Suoh Mikoto's real ties- he forced himself out of his clothes and into the cold water of the shower, wondering how much longer he'd last before he cracked, too.

\- - 

**_You have one new message!_ **

Sighing, Mikoto grabbed his PDA and unlocked it, eyes raking over the unknown number for a few minutes while the attachment loaded. He let out an unintentional yawn as his eyes flitted over to the empty spot in his bed- where Yata usually slept- as a frown pulled on his lips. He had hardly slept in a week, but despite spending so much time on the streets looking for Yata, his search had come up empty handed. He didn't even want to know how many Strains he had sent to the hospital during that time looking for information. 

When the video message finally loaded and pulled up on the hologram, he felt his breath catch in his throat as he stared at the obviously battered body of Yata- who sat up against a wall with tears in his eyes and agony written all over face. His blood began to boil before he even hit play.

“Mikoto-san...I don't have much time to tell you this so I’m just gonna say it, if you don't convince the Blue King to stop being so harsh against criminals who are Strains...then I'm done for. I’m not allowed to say who, but someone who was once one of yours and now isn't is here with me....” 

“Fushimi?” Mikoto mumbled to himself out of confusion. 

“You also need to stop trying to hunt these people down, you have to give them your word that you won't pursue them...if you don't I think you know what will happen to me.”

“Yata....”

“You are permitted to speak freely for a minute,” someone off camera- and with a digitally enhanced voice- said. 

“Mikoto-san...please do whatever you can...I know you don't want to work with the Blues but I don't want to die here...please.” The urgency in Yata's voice only fueled Mikoto's rage the longer he watched the video, watched his lover come apart at the seams and the way his broken and charred body shook involuntarily. He would say whatever he had to if only it meant he could have Yata back with him, what he would do after that was obvious.

_Whoever is behind this is as good as dead._

“But...with that being said, if getting me back meant putting someone else in danger...then I don't want you to do it. No one needs to die because of me, it's my fault I’m here in the first place.”

“Thirty seconds, Red clansman.”

“Fuck, okay, I'm so sorry I got myself into this situation. If you can't find a way to resolve all of these issues within the day then I won't be able to contact you again for awhile, but...remember what I said. If it hurts anyone else then don't do it, it's not worth it!” Yata paused, biting his lip as whoever held the camera got closer to him, “I'm not worth it...in case this is goodbye...Mikoto-san I....”

The video faded out to black but the duration was still clocked at having a minute remaining, so with a patience he didn't know he possessed, Mikoto waited for whatever else was going to be said to be spoken. 

“Red King, if it wasn't obvious, we have your clansman in custody and he is already paying the price for your transgressions against us. End this now, but know that in order to free what we have taken from you that the Blue King must also fulfill the request we have given him. We are prepared to kill Yata Misaki if necessary, he's already in a world of hurt thanks to you...will you make him pay the ultimate price for your pride?”

As soon as the video ended, Mikoto felt himself shaking out of blind rage. Tearing himself off of the mattress, he stormed down the stairs, not even bothering to keep his aura in check as it coalesced around him and rose like smoke from a fire. Izumo, Tatara and Anna were working feverishly to try and find him, as were the others- none more so than the three who had been with him when he had disappeared- and yet, Mikoto couldn't shake his gut feeling that _someone_ knew more than he was letting on.

Without any hesitation, he grabbed Izumo by the collar of his shirt and pressed him against one of the bar shelves. 

“What do you know about this situation that I don't?”

“Whoa, King! Take it easy!” Tatara intervened as he hopped up from his seat and paraded around the bar, but even still, Mikoto kept his grip firm, watching as Izumo's face fell.

“Watch this, then tell me to take it easy,” Mikoto huffed as he roughly shoved his PDA in Izumo's face, playing the hologram without the slightest bit of concern. Though it didn't take long for Tatara to reach out and cover Anna's eyes, despite the fact she still could still hear the pain in Yata's voice. When it was over, Izumo frowned at him.

“They've got Fushimi, too. Would that have made a difference to you, Mikoto?” 

Mikoto only grunted, slipping his PDA back into his pocket as he slowly dropped the bartender out of his hold. 

“Yata...Fushimi...” Tatara mumbled as he dropped his hand from Anna's eyes, “King, what are you going to do? Are you going to try and bargain with them and get Munakata-san in on it, too?”

“It won't be something pretty like that,” Mikoto spat as his aura continued to flare wildly around him. “I'll just do what I want anyway.”

“You're gonna try to find these people instead of take the deal?” Izumo rattled off as he took a small step towards the Red King, “Mikoto, think about this. You've been out there for the entire week and you haven't gotten any closer to finding him. You have until the end of the day to think of something...but you can't keep doing things the way you have been.”

With a gruff sigh, Mikoto stuck his hands in his jacket pockets before storming towards the door, stopping only when Anna called out for him. Only glancing back over his shoulder, he took in the sight of her- seated at the bar with her lips pressed into a thin line, sadness dancing back and forth in her eyes.

“You're going to go talk to Reisi?”

“Something like that,” Mikoto answered before he kicked the door open, listening to it slam as he paraded down the sidewalk of Shizume Town, not even bothering to conceal the raging inferno that was no longer contained inside of him. 

\- -

“C-Captain....”

Munakata stiffened in his chair, eyes raking over the hologram in front of him- seeing where Fushimi lay, battered and bruised beyond belief against the white walls and floor of wherever he was being held. In front of him, his clansmen worked tirelessly to attempt to find a location based on the number and the video they were all baring witness too. It was obvious that no one was pleased with what they were seeing but even so, they worked diligently- each of them as eager to find Fushimi as he was.

“I-I'm being forced to tell you that you my life is on the line here, mine and some loud mouths that is...I'm told that I’m to give you a set of demands.”

“Awashima-kun, would you please make note of whatever else he has to say in regards to the demands?” Reisi sighed as he paused the video with a wave of his hand, feeling his agitation rise the further he delved into it. 

“Sir,” Seri replied curtly, grabbing a note pad and a pen- and even then, Reisi could see that her hands were shaking. With a small sigh, he resumed the video. 

“Relinquish all control over Strain matters and let... _Strains handle their own problems_ , as they so lucratively put it. Make a public announcement to all Strains and release those in your custody, or...heh, I suppose you already know the out come, what would be the point in telling you anything else?” Fushimi paused, his head falling to the side a little as a pained noise escaped his lips, “this is so stupid.”

“You have one minute to deliver a personal message to your King, Blue clansman.”

“Personal message, huh? I can say anything?”

“Within reason.”

“I see,” Saruhiko laughed, a noise so broken apart that it sent chills down Reisi's spine- and yet his face didn't at all reflect how disturbed he truly was. “Captain, don't be an idiot. You know whats at stake here, you can see the bigger picture. Don't let this get under your skin, it's something that can't be helped. This situation was hopeless from the start, I don't expect anything of you and I'd find you a fool for it.”

“I did say within reason, Blue clansman.”

“What else is left to say?” Saruhiko snorted, turning his head forward again and it was then that Reisi could see a thick line of blood begin to seep down the side of his face. “It was my negligence that got me here, perhaps this was only a matter of time. Something like this...it's an idiot's mistake. Idiots aren't useful, are they?” He paused again, “I'll treat this like a farewell...so...t-th-thanks for the opportunity...and....” 

The moment the video faded over to black, Reisi felt his jaw set when that digitally enhanced voice began to speak again.

“Blue King, your clansman is in dire need of some assistance, don't you think? He's a tough one, you pick them well...have you ever wondered what it sounds like when he screams in agony? It's a beautiful sound, truly. We know your sense of justice runs deep but does your loyalty to your clansman do the same? How about your ties with the Red King? He's a part of our deal, too. Maybe you should give him a call, don't you think?”

Reisi continued to stare at the black screen with an unreadable expression but around him clansman all halted their work, each stopping to look at him and gauge his change in demeanor- or rather the Blue aura that emitted from his body, something he didn't even realize he let slip. 

“The details are simple, send a video to this number of yourself agreeing to our demands and we will contact you again in two weeks time. You've made us wait long enough, it's time for you to feel our pain...or rather, it's time for your clansman to suffer for you. We will release the Red clansman in custody today, but you will have to wait two full weeks to set yours free. It's unfair, isn't it? Being bossed around by someone so beneath you...you better get used to it. You have until midnight, good luck, Blue King. We'll take good care of Fushimi Saruhiko.”

For a minute, Reisi stared at the blank screen without moving an inch. Only processing all the words spat so viciously towards him as he contemplated his next move, wondering how long it would take before the inevitable happened- that being Suoh Mikoto breaking down his door to demand his help, though he couldn't entirely blame him.

“So it seems Fushimi-kun and Yata Misaki have both been captured,” he finally deducted as he recalled the way Saruhiko spoke of who he was locked up with. “This certainly is a predicament, and I don't wish to keep Fushimi-kun in there any longer than possible.”

“Sir, with all due respect, we can't release a bunch of criminals into the streets either,” Seri sighed as she pinched her brow. “We have to think of a way to trick them into thinking we're on their side then retrieve Fushimi, then take control of the situation once again.”

“Sir, I’ve got something!”

“Oh?”

“The speakers voice,” Akiyama began as he brought a tablet closer to Reisi, “this video was a rush job, edited by some amateur most likely. I’ve managed to reverse the voice changer this so should reveal the speaker's real voice.”

“Play it,” Reisi instructed as he leaned back in his chair, finally having enough willpower to regain control of his aura. As he listened to the tape, he felt a small smile come to his lips. “That is the voice of the man they call the Repeater, I interviewed him four months ago for a parole check in. I wouldn't forget that monotone voice for the world.”

“Does he have a personal address in his file?” Benzai questioned as his fingers furiously flew over his laptop keys.

“He doesn't, however, there is a photo of him.” Reisi answered as he remembered that particular man, how there was nothing about him that really stood out amongst a crowd. He was a thirty year old man, tall, with dark hair and dark eyes, an appearance not too uncommon, the only thing about him in particular that did stand out was the scar on the left side of his face where he was burned by another Strain. 

“Captain, would you like us contact local law enforcement and send them copies of the photos of the men in the file for the case that Fushimi was working prior to his abduction?” Seri inquired as she sat down her note pad in front of him.

“Yes, let's do that. I want eyes all over this city and I would like for warehouses and entrances to Tokyo's underground monitored closely. Wherever these people are operating from has to be some where secluded, but there has to be some sort of in and out traffic if there are many Strains involved.” Reisi concluded with another sigh, “for now, set those plans into place and we will wait until a certain someone burns down the front door.”

“You mean Suoh Mikoto?”

“Perhaps a rampage wouldn't be such a bad idea at the moment,” Reisi laughed as he pushed his chair back, walking to the side of the room to glance out of one of the large windows. 

“Sir?”

“Forgive me,” he coughed a bit awkwardly, turning back to his clansmen with his usual smile though this time it looked as if he was trying too hard to maintain it. His subordinates' worried expressions did little to quell his own anxieties, “rescuing Fushimi-kun is our top priority, is it not?”

“Sir!”

“Then we will say whatever we have to say in order to get him back,” Reisi finished as he turned back to look out the window, his frown coming back to his lips the moment after. As if he completely forgot that his clansmen could see his worried expression in his reflection.

\- -

“Red clansman, what if I told you that you could leave today?”

“You're serious?” Yata mumbled as he registered the presence of the person that had interrupted his sleep. Beside him on the ground, Saruhiko began to stir, too. Though both of them were far too week to move, they each managed to raise their heads enough to look at the masked man in the doorway that Yata automatically knew was Healer, coming to collect him for their seventh day. 

The day before, he and Saruhiko both had been forced apart. While that had driven Yata mad, he was also somewhat glad that Saruhiko hadn't had to see him like _that_. That being the way he was beaten almost beyond recognition and then torched like a piece of firewood, as if it couldn't have got any worse, they forced him to stay underwater for over a minute- and that had been more traumatizing than the wounds themselves.

He had then been allowed to record a video that he assumed was sent to Mikoto, which he thought was the worst part of it all. Saruhiko wasn't much better off, in fact, the same regimen had been applied to him and he too was allowed to send a video to the Blue King- but ever since they were both returned to the room, Saruhiko had refused to speak to him. That had truly been the most bothersome thing of his day. 

“Indeed, if the Red King and Blue King both comply today then you will get to leave.”

“What about...him?” Yata asked as his eyes traveled over to Saruhiko- who in turn managed to glance back at him with an unreadable expression.

“He stays for at least two more weeks,” Healer said with a slight laugh. “Our main issue is with the Blue King, it's only fair that he reaps the seeds his King sowed.”

“How is that fair, though? He has done nothing to you all personally,” Yata argued as he forced himself to put his weight against his charred hands, forcing himself off the stiff mattress. 

“He made the choice to align himself with the Blue King, he chose to help him limit us and what he thinks we can and cannot do.” Healer shot back as he took another step into the room, “despite today's possibilities, you two are to return to Slasher like normal.”

“I'm not leaving,” Yata mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper.

“What was that, Red clansman?”

“Yeah, what was that?” Saruhiko repeated with a slight look of shock.

“I'm not leaving, don't get me wrong...I want too...but I can't leave him here alone.” Yata sighed before he could stop himself, every fiber of his being told him he was an idiot for it but he couldn't do that to Saruhiko. He couldn't imagine being in a place like this alone, and despite how badly he wanted to return home- and despite how he felt about Saruhiko himself- he couldn't deny that seeing the man who had once been his friend in pain was heartbreaking to him. 

If being there for Saruhiko was any consolation, then he'd gladly accept the consequences. Despite how _agonizing_ they truly were.

“You're an idiot,” Saruhiko whisper yelled as Healer continued to approach them, some other unknown man lingering in the doorway. “Go, staying here isn't going to change anything.”

“I'm not letting you be alone with these people, period. I’ll take whatever punishment I have to for it, but I can't leave someone...someone important to me behind to suffer alone. I’ll wait the two more weeks with him.”

“I think you're a fool for it but I will inform Repeater of your martyr-like decision, are you sure, Red clansman?” Healer asked one final time before he ignited his aura, encasing them in that cold light once again. The moment Yata's wounds were healed he flopped back down on the mattress, tears stinging the corners of his eyes as he stared blankly ahead at Saruhiko- who looked more disturbed than Yata had ever seen him before.

“I'm sure.”

Both Saruhiko and Healer spoke at the same time.

“Idiot.”

_I know._

\- -

“So Red clansman, I heard you did something heroic today,” Slasher laughed the moment he stepped into the room. Yata gulped as he warily raised his head, ignoring Saruhiko's bittersweet expression as he turned to face the masked man loitering in the center of the room. “Offering to stay with this scum even though you don't have too, tch, give me a break, you're a sadist, aren't ya?”

Yata didn't give him an answer, only hung his head again as he pondered his decision and wondered what he'd experience because of it. He missed Mikoto and the others more than anything, and while he still felt a burning rage in his chest over what Saruhiko did, he couldn't bare the thought of him in here alone. Alone with Slasher- who would tear him limb from limb if Yata didn't beg him not to, of that much he was sure. 

He found himself smiling as that realization dawned on him, of course the irony in it was clear but wanting to protect a traitor was a low he never imagined he'd stoop to. Except in here, there were no Kings and clansmen, only pain, confusion, and each other. Yata and Saruhiko, or two people who didn't even have names to themselves anymore. Yata was losing his sense of self already, wondered if anything was even real at this point, and wanting to protect Saruhiko of all people truly was the icing on the proverbial cake.

_Yata Misaki...hm, I wonder if that name even means anything anymore...._

“I wish I could see you,” Yata mumbled aloud without meaning too, “I wish you could tell me what was real and what wasn't. Why do I wanna do this? Why do I wanna stay here? Why do this when I’m away from you?”

“What's that Red clansman?” Slasher laughed but he didn't turn back to look at them, only continued cleaning off his tools and likely pondering what he'd do to them that particular day.  
Saruhiko, however, managed to catch Yata's attention, and when he looked up at him he saw the panic on his face clear as day. The words he mouthed to him left him feeling overwhelmed.

“ _Misaki, stop._ ”

“ _Don't let them break you._ ”

“ _Misaki...listen to me!_ ”

“Mikoto-san,” Yata whispered, feeling hot tears sting his eyes before they rolled down his cheeks. Across the room, Slasher could only laugh.

“Kid, I got news for you,” he began as he finally selected a tool before coming back to stand in front of Yata. “He wouldn't have come for you today anyway, I gotta feeling those two good for nothing Kings will never agree to our terms. You wanna know what that means?”

Yata could only weakly nod his head.

“You're gonna be staying here with me,” Slasher chuckled darkly as he brandished a hammer- something that made Yata's eyes grow wide, “forever...or until I finally decide to kill you.”

“You're probably right,” Yata laughed as he locked eyes with him again, “but want to know what would happen to you if he did find me?”

“Oh, what's that?”

“He'd destroy you,” Yata smirked, ignoring Saruhiko's panicked pleas for him to stop. “He's not someone you could lay a finger on, in fact, he wouldn't have to lay a finger on you to kill you. I bet you that h-”

“MISAKI!”

“What did you just say?” Slasher growled as he turned back to face Saruhiko, but that only left Yata in a turmoil of confusion. Wondering why of all the things being said that his name bothered Slasher the most. 

_Why would I say those things to him? Do I have a death wish?_ He thought as he watched Slasher turn around completely before he stood before Saruhiko, _no, that's not it at all. I...I was trying to distract him...to get him to think about me and me only...so he'd leave..._

“Stop!” Yata yelled in a panic, desperate to get the attention back on him the moment he saw Saruhiko's regret filled expression. 

_When did you start to crack too, Saruhiko?_

“Have I ever stopped when you wanted me to?” Slasher cackled as he spun the hammer around his hands, “you're both gonna be in a world of hurt today.”

“That's fine by me,” Saruhiko snorted as his eyes locked on Yata's, a small smile pressing onto his face. Yata couldn't help but return it.

_This is madness...and we both knew it was gonna be this way. We knew what they were doing and yet we let it happen...I had a way out but I wanted to protect you...I wonder if Mikoto-san would be proud of me for this? As much as I want to see you...I can't help but think that this place is where I'm supposed to be for now...but when you do find me- and you will- I hope that you get revenge for me. And for Saruhiko, too._

“You're both so into this today,” Slasher chuckled as he poised the hammer at Saruhiko's arm before retracting it, each time he'd barely tap the skin- as if he was testing it. “Any particular reason?”

“I'm not afraid anymore,” Yata called out as another tear slid past his eyelids, _why is that so close to the truth? Am I this broken already?_

“I'm not either,” Saruhiko agreed as a cocky smile pressed onto his lips, “it's what you all wanted, isn't it?”

“Exactly who are you guys?” Slasher laughed, as if the question was the funniest thing he had ever said. Both Yata and Saruhiko's expressions fell but neither of them said anything for a moment, in the end Yata broke the silence, tears sliding down his face at a much more rapid rate.

“I was hoping you could tell me.”


	4. Infrastructure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kings continue to work (and neglect their health), Yata and Fushimi have a rough night but catch a break, the Strains are losing ground, and Seri and Izumo reflect on the past and the things to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the comments/kudos! ^.^
> 
> I'm not going to say anything because...spoilers...but I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)

“What...I'm about to tell you...you'll probably be mad at me for....”

Mikoto leaned in to the hologram a bit closer, eyes raking over Yata's frame and the absolutely horrendous injuries that riddled his small body. Beside Mikoto, Reisi watched on with a grim expression, feeling a tad bit uneasy but it hardly showed on his face. The Red King's rage, however, was more than apparent. 

“I don't know...if you've been able to work something out or make a deal with these people...but even so...I'm going to stay here...until _he_ can leave, too.”

Mikoto felt his eyes widen a bit out of surprise. 

“I hope you can understand that...leaving someone alone in a place like this...I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did that to him.” The pain in Yata's voice made Mikoto's stomach churn, “I'll do what I can...to stay strong, so make sure you do the same...Mikoto-san. Please...please remember to sleep and eat and stuff, I'd be disappointed if you didn't take care of yourself because of this. Don't worry too much about me, _it'll all work out in the end,_ right?”

When the video ended, all Mikoto could do was stare at the blank space where the hologram had once been. He was angry, but he had been angry to begin with- not like that was Yata's fault- but in a way, he understood where Yata was coming from. Still, seeing him in such a state took it's tole on him, and the fact that Yata had all but called him out on his clear lack of sleep and deteriorating health made him feel the slightest bit guilty. He knew Yata would be disappointed in him for it, no matter what the situation was. 

“Suoh.”

“I know.”

“We'll find them before then, we just have to exhaust our sources.”

“Speaking of exhausting things, you haven't slept through the night since this all went down, have you?” Mikoto mumbled as he glanced back at Munakata, being more aware of his current state than even his clansmen.

“I haven't,” Reisi answered without a hint of emotion, though his clansmen all appeared a bit shocked at hearing the news. “Clearly, you haven't either.”

“I can't sleep for more than an hour or eat more than a bite or two of food...knowing those bastards are out there and out of my reach when they should be dead.” Mikoto admitted as he stood back up, glancing down at the Blue King with a complacent expression. “What are we going to do? You won't meet their terms so we need to think of something.”

“We?”

“Yeah, we.” 

Though it was small, Reisi couldn't help but smile.

\- -

“Saru...you alive?”

“Barely.”

“Well that's...good.”

“Do...do you think, taunting him...was a bad idea?”

“It was...idiotic, Misaki.”

“Yeah...well....”

“Just...stop...” Saruhiko sighed as he somehow managed to push himself off the ground, despite the fact his bones were caved in and his skin was lacerated beyond recognition. “Can you move?”

“Yeah,” Yata mumbled as he sat up slowly, clutching onto his abdomen that had yet to stop bleeding. Despite the fact they had spent an hour laying on the cold white floor of their cell. The punishment for their words had been swift and severe, stabbed, cut, burned, skin flayed off of certain areas, and beatings severe enough to push them to the brink of death. At this point, Saruhiko couldn't help but wonder if he should dig in his skin and find an artery- find a way to make himself bleed out before the sun rose again and he was taken away from that place for another day of _atonement_.

“Go lay down, and rest,” Saruhiko whispered as his arms gave out on him, and he plummeted to the floor again- not having the strength to attempt to move anymore. 

“So you can spend another night on the floor?” Misaki snorted as he crawled a bit closer to Saruhiko before collapsing next to him, “here is fine.”

“Why did you decide to stay?”

“I told you...I can't leave you behind...in here...the issues we have don't matter. It's not my enemy that screams in pain here...it's Saruhiko, someone important to me.”

“So you just want to put off your hatred for me until we get out of here?” Saruhiko snickered, his voice laden thick with pain.

“I hate these people more...than I ever hated you...so yeah. Let's just not talk about it now, okay? It hurts to talk....”

“It hurts to breathe,” Saruhiko sighed as he slipped his hand up his white colored shirt, feeling the absence of skin and the way his muscles pulsated just above his organs. 

“I wish these lights would go away,” Yata moaned as he flung his battered arm over his eyes, “Saru...I'm going crazy in here.”

“I know,” Saruhiko coughed, stretching out his grotesquely lacerated hand as he clamped it over Misaki's abdomen, his hand resting over the latter's as he attempted to help stop the bleeding. “If this doesn't stop....”

“I'm probably gonna bleed out,” Yata laughed bitterly, “you think they'd do something.”

“I doubt they noticed,” Saruhiko groaned as he forced himself to sit up again, pushing his body to the limits as the adrenaline rush faded away. He leaned down as close as he could to examine the wound, cursing under his breath about how his glasses were gone and how that only complicated things further. “Move your hand, I need to see where it's at.”

“Okay,” Yata weakly mumbled as he did as told, hissing as he and Saruhiko both moved their hands. Saruhiko immediately noticed a fresh pool of pinkish-red, frothy blood that soaked through the white fabric of Yata's shirt, and without even thinking, he carefully pushed up the cloth, ignoring his own pain as he got a closer- and gut wrenching- look of the wound. 

“Shit,” Saruhiko cursed as he somehow found the strength to get to his knees, after a failed attempt at standing he crawled over to the bed, ripping the sheet off of it as he made his way back to Misaki. “Put this over top of it and put as much pressure as you can on it. I’m gonna try to get someone's attention.”

“It's that bad?” Yata stammered and it was then that Saruhiko realized how slurred his words had become, and how badly he was shivering. His breathing was rapid and shallow, and his skin- or what was left of it- was cool to the touch. Saruhiko's diagnosis made his skin crawl.

_Is it bad? Your artery has been pierced and you're going into shock, of course it's bad...._

“It's fine, Misaki. Just do what I said,” Saruhiko lied with a stern tone of voice as he got over to the door, pondering what his next move was going to be. He managed to place his hand over the door but the moment he went to ball it into a fist he hissed in pain, realizing his hand would no longer move that way and the other wasn't any better off. The only thing he could resort to was slapping the door as hard as he could, but even that was quiet- and incredibly painful. 

The harder he tried the more adrenaline he got back into his system, and the more he looked back at Misaki- and the white sheet that was becoming drenched in blood- the more determined he became. But after a few minutes of failing to draw anyone's attention, panic began to set in. 

He didn't care if it hurt him at this point, he slammed his hand down on the door as hard as he could and with every ounce of strength he could muster- knowing the room was probably sound proof only fueled his concerns- and he began furiously screaming, losing his calm demeanor the longer they sat in silence- the longer Misaki laid dying on their cell floor. 

Just when Saruhiko had almost given up hope, the door swung open and he fell backwards with it, landing harshly on his hands- that cracked under the added pressure. Howling in pain, he glanced back up at the figure in the door way, wondering who it was. 

“This kind of behavior isn't tolerated.”

“R-Repeater?”

“Yes, what is it Blue Clansman?”

“M-Mi...he's got an arterial bleed,” Saruhiko hissed as he cradled his arms to his chest, somehow finding a way to balance without them out at his sides. Glancing over to where Misaki was- hardly moving and staring blankly ahead at the ceiling- an overwhelming feeling of sorrow crashed down over him. “He's...in shock...he needs help.”

“Does he?” Repeater sighed though his monotone voice never changed, he glanced back over his shoulder and nodded his head, someone else coming to stand in the door frame as he walked over to where Yata laid. After examining him, Repeater sighed once again. “Guard, send someone for Healer and make it quick. Also, tell someone to send Slasher to my room at once. This is unacceptable.”

“Sir!” 

Saruhiko watched the door slam shut with a relieved expression as he laid back on the floor, head rolling to the side so he could see Yata's bleary eyes and frown. He smiled sadly at him, trying to be reassuring but he was sure it looked nothing more than forced. 

“Blue Clansman, are any of your wounds incredibly grievous?”

“Probably gonna get an infection,” Saruhiko grunted, not even attempting to move after the last bit of in-tact bones he had in his arms had been snapped.

“I'll have Healer tend to you just in case,” Repeater stated as he rose to his feet. “Much to my surprise, both the Red and Blue Kings have shown a willingness to cooperate.”

“Is that so?” Saruhiko coughed as a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes. From the start of this situation, he hadn't expected to be saved. He told Munakata how he felt about it, how he'd find him stupid for abandoning his ideals and laws just to save his skin. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't like he was irreplaceable. Someone like Munakata could probably find someone to replace him within an instant, or so he thought. 

Knowing what he did about Mikoto and Yata, he could understand the Red King's willingness to cooperate but if the Strains thought that they'd get away with what they did then he found them even more ignorant than he previously thought. There was no way someone like Suoh Mikoto would be able to contain his rage for long, the mere thought of him being angry like he probably was in that moment chilled Saruhiko to the core. 

He wondered if Munakata was angry too, or if he was the same as ever- containing his emotions and bottling them up, only exploding in private or not exploding at all. 

“Having you two die now when we are so close to what we want isn't an option,” Repeater explained as he waited by the door. “Slasher has gotten carried away today.”

_So we aren't the only ones cracking, huh? If they're having problems internally then it should be reasonable to assume that they are making careless mistakes. I’ll have to wait for an opportunity to exploit them, if the Captain and Suoh Mikoto don't beat me to the punch._ Saruhiko thought as the door finally swung open and in walked who he presumed was Healer- his hunch being correct considering the first thing he did was approach Yata and begin the process of mending his wounds. 

By the time he had finished, Yata was out cold, having fallen asleep the moment the agonizing pain was gone- but even then, Saruhiko could already see a difference in his condition. His skin color was no longer pale and his chest rise and fall seemed to be normal again, he felt himself let out a shuttered breath the moment Healer turned to him. 

“His as well, Healer,” Repeater commanded as he loitered in the doorway. “Blue Clansman, have either of you eaten in the last three days? I have been away and it seems things don't function properly in my absence.”

“Not really,” Saruhiko sighed as he felt the strange cold aura do it's job, mending his body and broken bones- even going as far as to regrow the skin on his chest. It wasn't a painful process, but the pressure in his body was unbearable the entire time it occurred. When it was over, however, he had never felt more relieved. 

“Fetch them some food, Healer. A loaf of fresh bread and a gallon of water,” Repeater demanded as he impatiently tapped his foot on the ground. Healer left the room without a word, but did turn to look at the other masked man before he went- as if he too was questioning the stability of their infrastructure. “You both won't last more than a few days in your current state, it's only logical to ensure you both stay in good health.”

“Dully noted,” Saruhiko scoffed as he sat up, not even denying how good it felt to do so without an ounce of pain. “I have a request, feel free to ignore it, though.”

“What is it, Blue Clansman?”

“Can you...turn of the lights...just for tonight, after we eat?” Saruhiko all but pleaded as he tiredly rubbed his eyes, “I think...I think we've earned it.”

“Who is _we_?” Repeater asked, and immediately Saruhiko knew it was a trick question.

“No one,” he answered, his lips pressed in a thin line. “No one at all.”

“What day is it?” Repeater continued on, the smallest bit of amusement in his voice.

“I have no clue,” Saruhiko snorted and it wasn't far from the truth, he presumed they had been in there for about a week but he felt as if that could be off entirely. Sure, sometimes his captors would let certain time frames slip up every now and then- namely in saying, _in two weeks you can do this_ \- but it wasn't as if there were any clocks in the sterile white building. There weren't any windows either, as far as Saruhiko could tell anyway. 

“I see,” Repeater laughed as Healer came back into the room, food and water in hand. “Healer, how have they behaved the last few days?”

“Well, they went willingly to Slasher and as you know, the Red Clansman even opted to stay here longer. Ignoring Slasher's reports, yes, they have been behaving.”

“Is that so?” Repeater laughed as he eyed the food for a moment before looking back up at Saruhiko. “Eat, wake him up and make him eat, too. Someone will come in and turn the light off when you both are finished. This is a one time thing, Blue Clansman. Do not ask this again.”

“T-thank you,” Saruhiko spat out, swallowing his pride as he watched the two masked men leave the room. Warily, he rose to his feet before kneeling down next to Yata, lightly shaking him until he got some sort of reaction. “I...I got them to fix you up, I even convinced them to turn the lights off for a bit...they'll do that soon. For now, you need to eat something, okay? You lost a lot of blood.”

“Saru....”

“Don't, just don't,” Saruhiko fussed as he helped Yata sit upright before going back to get the unopened bread and the jug of water that sat on the floor. He found himself smiling out of relief as he noticed the clarity of the liquid and the softness of the bread, seeing as it wasn't stale or infested much like the others had been. “Can you eat?”

“I'm not hungry,” Yata mumbled defiantly, but it was obvious that that was far from the truth. Sighing, Saruhiko sat back down next to his companion and offered him the water and food. In the end, they both tore into it ravenously, eating every last bite and drinking every last drop of water to the point that their stomachs began to hurt. As soon as they finished eating the door swung open again, and a guard collecting the leftover items before stepping out without a word. A moment later, the room was dark. 

“Finally,” Saruhiko spat as his eyes adjusted to the dark light, “the light in here is more maddening than anything else.”

“Tell me about it, I felt like my eyes were going to melt.” Yata whined as he fumbled around in the darkness until he found the bed, “oi, Monkey.”

“What?”

“Since you...since you did all of that for me...you should sleep in the bed tonight. I’ll stay on the floor.”

“You almost bled to death,” Saruhiko said with a click of his tongue, “you need rest more than I do.”

“Is Saruhiko worried about me?” Yata teased.

“Don't be stupid,” Saruhiko grunted but it was halfhearted. “If anyone is your downfall it's going to be me, you're not allowed to be killed by something else.”

“You want to kill me that bad, Monkey?! Huh, not like you ever could! Idiot Saru.”

_Finally, some normalcy,_ Saruhiko thought to himself as he blindly crawled forward until he got to the edge of the bed. Even in the pitch black room, he could tell Yata was fuming. Relishing in the fact that he was no longer in pain, Saruhiko laid down on the cold ground, bringing his knees to his chest as he rested his head on his arm. Before he tried to rest, his eyes drifted over to where the door was as he contemplated what would happen from there on out. 

_If they continue fighting in such a manner then there might be a way for them to slip up, leave the door unlocked or something. Maybe then I could attempt to make a break for it...but even so, I have to keep this to myself. God knows Misaki can't keep a secret and he'd just get his hopes up...._

Letting out a deep sigh, he finally closed his eyes. One last thing crossing his mind before his exhausted body forced him to drift off to sleep.

_Captain, I hope you're not being an idiot about this...._

\- -

“What you did today was unacceptable, Slasher!” Repeater growled as he slammed his hands down on his desk, “do you not realize what could have happened if the guard didn't come find me? He could have been killed, you idiot. We have the Red and Blue Kings eating out of our hands and you'd give that away because you can't control your temper?!”

“To be fair I-” Slasher began but was cut off by the heated stare that Repeater gave him. Despite the fact the latter's voice was so devoid of emotion most of the time, he was furious now- to the point that he was shaking- which made the others in the room feel on edge. 

“Listen to me now and listen good,” Repeater sighed as he circled around his desk, sitting on the edge. “I want to break those kids, but I don't want to kill them. They're the only thing we've got on the Kings and to throw that away now would be foolish. The Blue King is the one we've got the real problem with, the Red King is just an added bonus in this, killing his clansman but keeping the other alive would be idiotic. Do you understand?”

“Sir,” Slasher mumbled weakly, cursing under his breath.

“Good, now, for the next two weeks I want these kids on a stricter schedule- I'm giving 'em a break tonight cause you almost killed them- but no more of this. If they act up, withhold food a maximum of forty eight hours then give them something nasty, they can't be running on fumes or they'll die, you got it?”

“Sir,” everyone in the room answered in unison.

“Wake 'em up an hour later and send them back to their rooms two hours later, we have to start messing with their schedule a bit to keep them confused. Slasher, take some anatomy classes if you're gonna keep blindly stabbing them, if they bleed out and we lose our deal with the Kings then I’ll kill you myself, got it?”

“Got it.”

“Good,” Repeater grunted as he crossed his arms, “now get out of my face.” 

And despite the fact he felt the meeting went well, he couldn't help but wonder if the idiots working underneath him would undermine him again in the future. 

“C'mon Blue King, make this easy for me, will ya'?”

\- -

“So our course of action at this point is to sit back and wait for Repeater to show himself, when he does, I will detain him myself and do whatever I can to retrieve information in regards to Fushimi and Yata's location,” Munakata explained as he looked over some of the documents at his desk. “His known accomplices' identities and photos are being distributed as well. If any of them slip up even once, we will have a way in.”

“And if none of them do?” Mikoto sighed as he looked at the photos of the Strains they were after, searing them into his memory. 

“Then a hostage exchange and a prisoner exchange will be done,” Reisi concluded as he handed Suoh a file. “Of course we won't let them get away, but once the exchange is done and our clansman are safe, you and I can deal with the Strains.”

“So, we should just kill them?” Mikoto grunted as he flipped open the file, “seems easy enough.”

“Not kill, we are to incapacitate them,” Reisi laughed as he pulled up his computer's hologram and began quickly typing out a report. 

“Look me in the eyes and tell me you won't kill the people torturing your favorite clansman,” Mikoto challenged, watching as Munakata's fingers froze over the keys. 

“That's not something I am prepared to do,” Reisi answered in short but it was apparent that it wasn't that he wasn't ready to do it, it was because it would be a blatant lie if he did.

“So we kill them,” Mikoto snorted as he flung the file back down on Munakata's desk. “I'm killing them, at least.”

“Suoh....”

“You're not gonna patronize me so drop it,” Mikoto shot back as he collapsed into a chair one of the Blue clansmen had brought in for him. 

“Shouldn't you be heading back to your domain?” Reisi finally spoke as he looked up from the hologram, eyes warily staring at Suoh- though he was having a hard time keeping them open at this point.

“Probably,” Mikoto replied but he made no indication that he was moving any time soon. 

“You're worried,” Munakata noted as he returned to his work, “I didn't think you had that in you.”

“Shut up,” Mikoto huffed as he sunk further into the chair, resting his head against the back of it. It was quiet after that, and though Reisi so badly wanted to break the silence, to act as if he still had some sort of control over the situation and that he wasn't in fact worried himself, he didn't. Only bit his tongue and focused every ounce of energy he had on his task, but even then, his own concerns slipped into his work. Staring blankly ahead at the screen in front of him, the words written at the bottom of the day's summary looked back at him tauntingly.

**_Though I cannot meet the demands of the captors, I am doing everything I can. Find me a fool for it, but I have made up my mind. Fushimi Saruhiko and Yata Misaki will be rescued at all, and I mean all, costs. Their captors are to be shown no mercy, and are to be killed if they don't comply._ **

With a bit of reluctance, Munakata deleted the last line of his report, deciding that for the time being, he'd keep that information to himself.

\- -

“I can't believe it's gotten this bad,” Seri sighed as she slumped forward in her bar stool, stirring her drink absentmindedly. “Fushimi...this is all my fault.”

“Seri-chan, this is not your fault at all,” Izumo consoled as he leaned across the bar, facing her. “I know what it's like, I sent Yata out there and look what happened...but there was no way we could have known what would happen to them. We wouldn't have sent them out there if we knew this would be the result, still...what they're going through....”

“They're never going to be the same after this,” Seri frowned as she looked up at the bartender. “I can't speak for Yatagarasu because I don't know him, but Fushimi...he's only going to seclude himself even more. He's never seemed to understand that the Captain and I, as well as everyone at Scepter 4, care about him. We've all been worried sick about him, a few of the squad members even shed some tears for him today...I just wish he knew what he meant to all of us.”

“When he gets back, why don't you all tell him?” Izumo suggested with a bittersweet expression, “knowing Fushimi, he'll probably just click his tongue and call you all annoying, but deep down I think it would mean a lot to him. Kid is so misunderstood, he's not a bad person...he's just gotta come to terms with the fact that people do care about him. He never did seem to want anyone's attention, only Yata's.”

“They were friends, were they not?” Seri questioned as she took a sip of her drink.

“They were...inseparable at first, to be honest with you, I think that's why Fushimi left...maybe he didn't like sharing his only friend or maybe Fushimi really did find a king in Munakata, no one knows but him.” Izumo shrugged as he leaned back against the alcohol shelves behind the bar. “Maybe he and Yata can work things out while they're...wherever they are. That would be the only positive in this situation.”

“Perhaps,” Seri agreed as she sat her now empty glass back on the bar top, “how has your clan been since Yatagarasu went missing?”

“Frazzled, to put it lightly. Kamamoto and a couple of the guys were with him before he got captured so they've been working around the clock to try and find him, Tatara has been a bit of the peace keeper like usual...but even he isn't right in the head at the moment. The boys are out all day looking and come back here furious when they don't find anything, even Anna's been upset- she feels like it's her fault she can't find them- which is far from the truth.”

“And your King?”

“He's a beast with no tamer at the moment,” Izumo breathed out as he recalled the anger in his best friend's eyes when they had their confrontation. It wasn't like he could blame Mikoto for it, really. “He's gonna kill these people the moment he has a chance, I’ve never seen him so murderous.... Anyway, how's your King holding up?”

“The Captain is...good at hiding things from us,” Seri frowned down at the empty glass in front of her. “He apparently hasn't slept since this began and he's been working nonstop, he acts as if nothing is wrong but it's obviously a bluff. I can tell this is hard for him, especially since the kidnappers keep blaming him for Fushimi's suffering, that always seems to hurt him the worst.”

“I wish I could go back in time,” Izumo admitted as he glanced up at Seri with an unreadable expression. “But since I can't, I'll just do whatever I can to help find them.”

“As will I,” she agreed with a small nod of her head. “Izumo...thank you...for helping me with this.”

“Letting a lovely lady such as yourself worry herself sick wouldn't be acceptable,” Izumo smiled as he began to pour her another drink, before she could say anything else their eyes locked. “But on a serious note, we're doing everything we can, Seri-chan. You're doing everything you can do too, right?”

She weakly nodded her head.

“So we just have to keep doing what we're doing and hope for the best.”

“Sometimes even the best isn't good enough....”

“Seri-chan?”

Not to his surprise, she remained silent.


	5. Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for the continued support on this fic, it means a lot to me. ^^; 
> 
> I don't want to spoil anything again, but prepare for some angst and excitement? 
> 
> Enjoy!

**Day 13**

Mikoto sat on the edge of his bed, body trembling, mind running nonstop, and legs bouncing up and down as he once again tried to convince himself to sleep. After the first week, it was apparent that the hour naps he would take were no longer cutting it, and the few times he managed to sleep- up to two hours- he'd have to force himself awake. By day ten, he was walking with his head in the clouds- which he knew was doing neither himself nor the investigation any good- and on that particular Sunday morning, something else had manifested itself.

Something he was beginning to wonder if it was real or not, but either way, it was becoming increasingly harder to ignore. 

_”You should just let go, we'll handle everything for you.”_

_“You know you want to burn this city to the ground, why don't you let us do it for you?”_

_“You can't ignore your instincts forever.”_

“Shut up,” he growled as he clutched either side of his head, his body going deathly still as he screwed his eyes shut, hoping that would stop the voices he had begun hearing. Only this time, it seemed to amplify. The sound grew worse, so much so that he clamped his hands down harder on his ears, but that of course didn't solve the problem either. They were coming from within his own head, taunting him, begging for release. 

It was unbearable, it was insult to injury, and the moment he wondered if he should just give in was when he felt something warm and firm clasp down on his shoulder. Suddenly, the voices stopped, and ever so slowly, Mikoto peeled his eyes open. His aura danced around him, hot and unrestrained, the thing that had stopped him- or rather the person- stared at him out of concern. 

“Totsuka....”

“King, can you hear me?”

Mikoto weakly nodded his head, lips pressing into a thin line as he used his last bit of strength to will his aura away again. Not having the energy to stay upright, he slumped forward, barely being caught by Tatara who held him in a vice grip. 

“Did I...burn everything?”

“We'll worry about the room later, it's just the walls,” Tatara sighed as he gently laid his head on the Red King's shoulder. “You need to sleep, King. You're not doing anyone any good like this.”

When he got no response, Tatara took the initiative to wave Izumo into the room to help him. 

“We're gonna get you in bed, okay Mikoto? If anything happens then I promise we'll wake you up,” Izumo promised as he grabbed hold of Suoh's left arm, Tatara grabbing the right. Mikoto said nothing, only allowed his clansmen to pull his body backwards until he was forced to lay down, his head hitting Yata's pillow- which he had been using in place of his own- though he'd deny it. 

“Kusanagi...Totsuka...I....”

“You don't have to explain yourself to us, King. We know this has been hard on you, it's been hard on all of us.... For now, there's nothing we can do, so just rest, okay?” Tatara reassured him as he slipped the covers over top of him, “Anna is with Kamamoto right now, so it's just Kusanagi-san and I. If you need anything at all, just call for one of us.”

Mikoto warily nodded his head as he flipped on his side, watching his two best friends exchange concerned glances before they headed towards his singed bedroom door. Before they could step out, he swallowed his pride and called out to them.

“Yes, King?”

“Stay,” Mikoto mumbled, a pained expression on his face, “both of you.”

“Mikoto....”

While both Tatara and Izumo appeared concerned, neither said anything more, just sat down on the edge of his bed and glanced back at him reassuringly. Truth be told, Mikoto didn't need them there for himself, but rather just in case his mind got carried away again- in case that raging inferno managed to escape and burn the building to the ground. As reluctant as Mikoto was, he finally closed his eyes, greeting sleep like an old friend in the end as he dreamt of days when the weight of the world wasn't pressing down on his shoulders. 

\- -

“I'm not saying it!”

“Say it!”

“I won't,” Yata said firmly as he pulled against his upper restraints, not even bothering to pull away from the knife that dug into his leg, “I'd rather die.”

“How is it this hard to break you?” Slasher laughed as he ripped the knife free from Yata's leg, wiping it off on a towel that hung from his belt before he turned to Saruhiko. Without hesitation, Slasher stuck the blade deep into his leg, the distinct sound of metal on bone filled the room but somehow, Saruhiko remained silent- only taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth. “Will cutting up pretty boy over here make you talk? Usually does.”

“I told you, he's never gonna say a bad word about that man,” Saruhiko snorted as his eyes met Yata's. “You could rip my heart out and he wouldn't say it.”

“Do I sense some bad blood here?” Slasher chuckled as he plucked the knife out once again, rolling it in his hands for a minute before he poised it at Saruhiko's throat. “Do tell.”

“It's not worth telling to a dead man,” Yata shot back, his eyebrows knitting together when their assailant only laughed. “Besides, neither of us knows the full story either, but I don't feel like finding out right now when someone else is just trying to find dirt on us.”

“Friends, lovers, enemies, whatever the fuck you all are it doesn't make a difference. All I need to know is that you hate it when I hurt him more than you hate it when I hurt you,” Slasher retorted, amusement laced thick in his voice. Yata watched the bright light of the room gleam off the blade before it sunk into one side of Saruhiko's neck, thick blood rolled down his skin. 

“You can't kill him,” Yata reminded him as he pulled at his restraints again, feeling the metal cuffs dig into his torn apart skin. Not even the pain seemed to reach him at this point, he was sure it was time for them to go back to their room anyway. Pain was a funny thing as was adrenaline, in the beginning or any time they first arrived to Slasher's room, they both felt every cut and every puncture, every burn or tear. But after so many hours, their bodies would weaken and lose most feeling, that was one thing they were both grateful for. 

However, their minds never stopped as long as they conscious. Sometimes, Slasher would get carried away and they'd pass out from agony they no longer felt, and while Yata hated that, he hated it when he was the only one left awake- hanging there helplessly as Slasher danced around him with a blade until he too would succumb. At those times, he'd welcome the darkness with open arms.

Those were the nights they'd wake up in agony on their cell floor, blaring white lights beating down on them to the point that the room was well over eighty degrees and their skin was hot to the touch. If they escaped that place, Yata never wanted to see lights that bright or white walls again. He missed the wooden interior of bar HOMRA, missed the scent of whiskey and cigarettes in the air, and the sounds of laughter and joy.

He missed yelling at Kamamoto and arguing with Tatara over things that didn't really matter, missed the way Kusanagi would scold him for his recklessness and the way Anna would always console him afterward. Most of all, he missed Mikoto. He longed to see his face, to know he was there and had his back no matter what. He missed his bad habits and quirks and hostile nature. He missed everything about him and would give anything to see him again. 

As for Saruhiko- and despite the fact they hadn't even attempted to talk about anything that happened outside those four walls of their cell-, he couldn't help but realize that a part of him missed Saruhiko and had for a long time. Still, he wasn't prepared to say it. It was obvious that neither of them were willing to make any ground, to take any risks and say what they needed to say to reconcile, but before that could even happen Yata wanted to have some sort of mutual understanding with him. 

Of course, they had a mutual understanding now but that was only that neither of them wanted the other to die- for some reason or another.

Remembering his place now, Yata repeated himself. 

“You can't kill him, so don't even bother pretending that you can.”

“You're right, I can't kill him,” Slasher hummed in agreement as he sat the knife down on the lone steel table in the room and grabbed a saw from it. Yata's eyes dropped down to the floor- once pristine and white but now soaked through with their blood- and he couldn't help but gulp when he heard the saw blade move throughout the air. “But what would you do...if I cut his leg his off?”

“W-what?” Yata stammered out as he raised his head, eyes meeting Slashers as he pulled out a thick cord and began to wrap it around Saruhiko's leg. “Wait, you can't be serious!”

“Oh, I am serious,” Slasher reiterated as he tightened the cord, “real serious.”

“It's fine,” Saruhiko spat out, a devilish smirk on his face, the moment Slasher looked away he smiled triumphantly. “Seriously, cut it off, if this is the worst you can do then I'll take it.”

“Stop, you idiot!” Yata shouted back at him, furiously tugging the chains at his wrists and ankles. “I'll say whatever I have to, okay? Just don't do it...Suoh Mikoto is...not....”

“Too late for that,” Slasher interrupted as he poised the blade in the middle of Saruhiko's thigh. Yata felt his blood run cold, the moment the blade sunk into Saruhiko's skin- this time, the latter could not contain the guttural groan that escaped his lips, even that paled to the ear piercing scream that shook the room a minute later. Yata ducked his head down, feeling sick to his stomach as he listened to Saruhiko whimper in the background, Slasher laughing triumphantly in return. 

Without even looking up to see the mess that was made, Yata blacked out.

\- -

He woke up in agony, skin charred, pride- or what was left of it- wounded and blissfully aware of the presence in the room. Two guards stood over him and Saruhiko both, looking at them through their identical masks before they backed away. 

When the iron door shut for the last time that day Yata let out a guttural groan, rolling on his back as he clutched at his stomach and the charred flesh that met his fingertips. He found it ironic, the way the flames had seared his skin as if they were a foreign substance to him and not a part of his very being, but alas, his flames and _those_ flames had been completely different. 

Directly beside him he heard Saruhiko cough once before taking a few deep breaths, after that everything in the room was silent except for the buzzing of the lights overhead. Not having the strength to move his head, he pushed past the pain and pursed his lips. 

“Hey, Saru....”

“What?”

“They're gonna come for us, you know that, right?”

The laugh that met his ears was full of doubt and disbelief, and at this point, after so many days and nights- too many to count at this point in a room devoid of windows- of being subjected to that kind of pain Yata couldn't blame him for it. Saying that had become ritualistic for him, and while he didn't doubt that his King was doing everything he could to find him he couldn't help but think that maybe that was futile, too. 

Even if it wasn't, they could be dead by the time help arrived. 

“They're gonna come for us...” Yata repeated as he slowly let the pain take reign over him and he began to fall into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard, Saruhiko's devoid voice, chilled him to the core.

“Don't hold your breath.” 

\- -

“Misaki, there's a reason I was so willing to let Slasher do that,” Saruhiko coughed as he finally stirred from his unconscious state, he hadn't been out long he deducted- and soon after Yata had woken up as well. Though this had been a part of his plan from the moment Slasher lost his cool, what hadn't been on the docket was what he did to Yata once he was out cold. 

From the tips of his toes to his chest, Slasher had set him on fire- and Saruhiko had helplessly whimpered for him to douse the flames, like he did every time. Even then, that was a small price to pay for what had been gifted to him because of it. Triumphantly, he smirked down at his companion. 

“That bracelet, the one that's been withholding my power, where do you think that went?”

Yata's eyes widened in realization.

“So you mean....”

“He didn't even check to make sure it was the right leg, what an idiot, I doubt he's even noticed. The pants they give us are so long it covers it completely, as long as no one examines it...I'm not powerless.”

“So...what's our plan from here?”

“I'm gonna go over to the door and tinker with the hinges, make them easy to pry apart in case they do notice, that way we could still make a break for it after Healer comes in here in a few hours.” Saruhiko explained, the pain fading away the more excitement he felt. “I don't think the Captain and Suoh Mikoto will be coming for us anytime soon...but that doesn't mean we can't go to them.”

“What if Healer notices though? Wouldn't running around as normal humans in a place full of Strains be suicide?”

“Distract him, keep asking questions about their deal with the Kings, say anything you can to keep his mind off of me when he fixes me up. Should you do that and we get away with it then I'll remove your bracelet and we'll make a break for it. We just need to get outside and make a scene, someone will call the police and then Scepter 4 will respond, by then it will be impossible for them to get away with it.”

“So...it's almost over?” Yata laughed, his voice laden thick with pain and what almost sounded like relief. 

“It's do or die from here on out,” Saruhiko mumbled as he locked eyes with Yata, “you better keep up, I can't carry your weight out there.”

“Says you,” Yata shot back with a frown, “god, I can't wait to kick your ass.”

“Heh, as if Misaki,” Saruhiko smirked as he shifted off of the floor, “speaking of picking up someone's weight...Misaki you need to help me.”

“Help you do what, idiot?”

“Do you want to get out of here or not?” Saruhiko grunted with a hard stare in the other man's direction, not even bothering to conceal his annoyance or his agony, “I can't reach the bolts on the door if I can't even stand on my own _two_ feet.”

“Shit, sorry,” Misaki cursed as he struggled to prop himself up on his elbows, glancing sideways at Saruhiko as he somehow found a way to his knees, and then his feet. Yata was swaying, groaning and mumbling curses under his breath, but still, he managed to stay upright. Saruhiko looked up at him expectantly, biting back a hint of embarrassment as Yata reached down and helped him up.

If Yata was unsteady, then Saruhiko was an accident waiting to happen. Somehow, they both made it to the door and it was then and only than Saruhiko focused on concentrating his powers. Deciding that red would be best for this task, he let his finger tips glow as he pushed them against the metal, heating it up until it warped and bent out of shape. One by one he did the same, until the only thing keeping the door upright was the pens that were in place, even those would be lost when any sort of force was exerted on them. 

Grinning at his accomplishment, he and Yata both hobbled over to the bed, collapsing side by side on the small mattress as they caught their breaths- and tried to muffle the painful sounding cries that forced themselves out of their throats. 

“I never wanted to say this again...but you really are amazing, Saruhiko.”

“Tch,” Saruhiko grunted but he couldn't stop the small smile that came to his face, “I can't believe I got my leg cut off for an ounce of freedom.”

“I can't believe we're about to be free and that it's because you got your leg cut off,” Yata mumbled as he scooted just a bit closer to Saruhiko. “You're the definition of a trooper.”

“You were burned alive and you didn't even wake up, that's a high pain tolerance if I’ve ever seen one,” Saruhiko chuckled darkly, but then felt a realization crash over him. “God, Misaki, we've lost our minds...none of this is funny.”

“You're right,” Yata concurred with a bit of surprise in his voice, “this...this is just a coping mechanism...laughing about this that is. Everything is gonna go back to how it was once we get out of here...right?”

“Yeah,” Saruhiko agreed just so he wouldn't have to tell Yata the truth, _sometimes a lie is all we can manage, after all,_ he thought. “Get some rest, and remember the plan, and for the love of god, don't you dare ruin this for us.”

“I won't,” Yata promised with a yawn that came out more like an agonized groan, “today...we end this.”

“One way or another,” Saruhiko muttered as he glanced back over at the door, wondering how long it would be before Healer walked through it. “I've never been so eager...to see something go up in flames.”

\- -

The moment the door clicked shut, Saruhiko turned to Yata, quickly kneeling down beside his leg as he pulled at the tattered fabric around the bracelet until it was exposed. With quick movements and a spark of the Blue aura, it malfunctioned, clicking off and falling to the ground in two separate pieces. 

“You did it!” Yata whisper yelled as he tossed the hunk of metal aside, a smile on his lips when he gazed up at Saruhiko- who warily returned it.

“Rip those pants from the knee down, if we trip over them it'll only cost us more time.” Saruhiko explained as he ripped the other leg off of his pants, thankful that he now had two functioning limbs to rely on- that had not been a fun process of healing. “We don't have a plan here, we're just going to run for it until we find an exit. If I remember correctly, I woke up once when we were being carried back to our room. Two hallways from here is an exit, it was marked. We just have to get to that door.”

“You got it,” Yata said as he got to his feet, shooting his companion a bright grin. “These blood soaked clothes will get people's attention if our fighting doesn't, we're as good as home free now.”

“Or dead,” Saruhiko laughed as he approached the door, turning back to look at Yata one last time before they quite literally broke the door down. “Either way....”

“We're not going down without a fight.”

\- -

“Captain, pardon me for asking...but are you feeling better now that you've rested?”

“I'm feeling much better, thank you for your concern Awashima-kun. Has there been any updates in the case?”

“None to report, sir. We have everyone in this city on the lookout though, I’m sure something will turn up soon.” Seri sighed as she laid a folder on the Blue King's desk, taking a few steps back immediately afterward. “The Special Ops squad are still working Fushimi's case and I have designated another task force to deal with the other issues we have with Strains at the moment. No matter how hard we work, it seems as if things keep stacking up around here.”

“Fushimi-kun is quite the hard worker, wouldn't you agree?” Munakata smirked as he folded his hands on his desk, looking expectantly at his second in charge. 

“He works just as hard as you do, sir.” Seri agreed with a curt not of her head, “not like anyone ever did...but we'll be certain not to take him for granted once he's returned.”

“Of course,” Reisi agreed as glanced down at the files on his desk. “Fushimi-kun would be furious with the rest of the squad, for letting the paperwork get so stacked up.”

“He'd never let them hear the end of it, then he'd insist on doing it all himself anyway.” Seri laughed though it was sickly sweet, “then Hidaka would try to make it up to him by bringing him lunch and Fushimi would insist on just eating something out of the vending machine.”

“Then we'd only lecture him about his health,” Reisi said with a small smile, knowing all too well that the only reason they were having this conversation was so both of them could relieve some of the guilt they felt. Talking of how things should be whilst doing everything one could to make them _normal_ again was all they were capable of at this point. 

“Fushimi...Captain....”

“Awashima-kun, have a little faith in the police and your fellow clansmen,” Munakata sighed as he stood up from his desk, forgetting his own dread as he sunk back into his usual demeanor. “We will do everything we can and if that is-”

“Captain! Lieutenant!” 

“Oh? What can we do for you Akiyama-kun?”

“Sir, it's urgent. We've just received word that two men were seen emerging from a warehouse down by the docks followed by a set of explosions, not only that...but their descriptions and the images we've received,” Akiyama took a few more steps into the room, pulling something up on his tablet as he did so. When the images popped up, Reisi felt his eyes widen. 

“So they've managed to break free,” he said with a smirk, “any word on what's going on?”

“It appears they're being pursued but they are both using their powers as you can see,” Akiyama said with what could be described as a sigh of relief.

“Gather everyone in the back lot immediately, send the flight team out at once and seal off the loading docks immediately, let's avoid civilian causalities.” Reisi commanded as he and his clansmen started out of the room, “gather all available personnel, trigger the alarm to alert everyone.”

“Sir!” Akiyama bowed as he ran off in the opposite direction, not even a minute later, the building's alarm system was going off as clansmen all rushed to the area the Blue King designated. The moment Reisi and Seri made it to the back lot they waited until everyone was together and in full uniform, and it was only then that Munakata spoke.

“Everyone, we have received word in regards to Fushimi Saruhiko's location, we are to assist him in his escape and combat any persons pursuing him and Homura's Yata Misaki. We are to use any means necessary to stop their captors, detainment might not be an option. Consider this a high risk mission and act with the utmost of care. We're leaving now, lights and sirens, is that understood?”

“Sir, for our cause is pure!”

“Move out,” Reisi dismissed them as he and Seri both climbed into the lead vehicle and prepared for departure, it was then that Seri looked over at him with a puzzled expression.

“As for Homura?”

“Have a patrol unit pick them up and rush them to the location,” Munakata said with a sly smile as the sirens on top of the vehicle began to blare and the driver sped off to the south end of Shizume Town. “What did I say, Awashima-kun? Having faith in your clansmen and brother's in arms is how we triumph at the end of the day. That being said,” he paused, his expression growing sour. “Let us not rejoice until Fushimi-kun is safe with us.”

“Sir,” Seri said with a grim expression as she did as she was instructed, once her attention was turned away from him, Reisi looked out the side window. 

_Fushimi-kun...I wonder if you have any faith left in me.... No matter what, I will get justice for you...by any means necessary...._

_For our cause is pure..._ Reisi couldn't help but scoff, _who am I kidding?_


	6. Purified

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for the continued support on this, I appreciate every comment or kudo that this has gotten and it means a lot to me. :)
> 
> I don't want to ruin anything for the future, but know that this is not the last of the action you will see in response to the events with the Strains. There will be more retaliation in the future. ;)
> 
> Warnings for the chapter: Violence, tempers flaring, angst, guilt, and more angst.

“This way!” Saruhiko shouted as he broke past the first guard, managing to snag the knife he had on their person which he figured he could use as long as the Strain that could manipulate steal didn't show. Yata trailed closely behind him, flames shooting out of both of his fists as he looked back and forth for any guards, they made good time, clearing the first hallway and moving onto the last before the alarm rang. Three people barred their path to freedom in the end, three incredibly powerful men that they didn't have time to deal with. Biting his tongue, Saruhiko barked out his next order.

“I'll watch your back, clear a path.”

“You got it!” Yata happily chirped back to him, sending his fist straight into the face of one unsuspecting Strain as Saruhiko fended off the other two. With every ounce of power Yata possessed he viciously kicked the door that read **EXIT** , momentarily awestruck at his own power as the door sailed outside- where the light was blinding.

They stumbled forward slowly at first, finally getting their eyes accustomed to light that wasn't artificial, before they sprinted down the sidewalk. Yata immediately knew where he was, it was a loading dock in one of Shizume Town's ports, he had been there several times tracking illegal affairs and he knew Saruhiko was familiar with it as well, eventually though, Yata's mind seemed to draw a blank- until he felt hopelessly lost behind the buildings and warehouses. 

Saruhiko looked at him out of confusion but still, they pressed onward, desperate to find someone- anyone- and put as much distance between that place and the people chasing them as they could. Different colored auras tore up the ground around them, but they managed to keep dodging their blows, sending back giant sparks of energy of their own out of retaliation and the need to draw attention to themselves. 

They ran for what felt like forever and didn't see a single person, but eventually as they ran past an alley way, Yata saw something that gave him a glimmer of hope. A group of men and women working on a loading dock, all staring at them in shock as several pulled out their phones and placed calls- which he hoped would be to the police- but he didn't stick around to ask, not wanting to put them in dangers themselves. 

His legs felt like they were going to break the more he strained them, and given the fact Saruhiko had quite literally just grown a new one, he didn't seem steady on his feet either. They turned down several rows of warehouses without ever once looking back, only pushing forward until they met a dead end and were forced to look at their pursuers. More than Yata could count, all angry, all ready to fight but exhausted themselves. 

Staying there would be suicide, so he and Saruhiko did the next best thing, jumped on one of the loading docks before they scaled the building. Hopping down on the other side of the warehouse as they attempted to escape once again, however, their pursuers had followed them that way, too. Just when Yata felt like giving up, Saruhiko grabbed his hand, glancing back at him with an exasperated expression.

“I can't see that well, remember,” Saruhiko snorted but then the pieces clicked together for Yata. Of course Saruhiko had been running behind him because he could only see Yata, he couldn't see where they were going and he was relying on him to get them somewhere safe. If he gave up now, Saruhiko would be caught as a result, that was something else he couldn't have on his conscious, that and the fact that they'd probably be killed for escaping. 

He didn't plan on dying that day. 

“Right,” Yata gasped as he took another abrupt turn down an alley, the moment he started down that way, he heard something he would never forget. Sirens. 

“Finally,” Saruhiko snickered as the sound grew louder, “I thought they'd never show up.”

“I told you they'd come for us on day one,” Yata bragged as he followed the source of the sound, continuing to lead Saruhiko away from their captors and the occasional flash of auras that came their way. 

“Got you now!”

Before Yata could even blink, a purple colored aura sped towards him from the left, having no time to dodge he braced himself for impact...and it never came.

“Pardon the interruption, but I cannot allow you to do that.” 

“Save the politeness, Munakata. They're not gonna live long enough to hate you for it.”

“Captain....”

“Mikoto-san....”

“Forgive us for being so late,” Reisi said with a frown thrown over his shoulder, his sword pointed in the Strain's direction. “We'll talk later, for now, let us handle this.”

“What he said,” Mikoto smirked as he poised his fists. 

Before another word could be said, Seri and Izumo both zeroed in on their location and forced them away from the scene. It felt like a dream, a blur of faces and colors but as two strong arms picked him up and carried him away from the scene Yata found his eyes starring back at his King, the only clarity he could see in his current state. If words were being spoken, he couldn't hear them. He felt someone- Izumo he presumed- sit him down and felt someone reassuringly rubbing his back but he kept his eyes forward, unblinking and searching for some sort of peace in the chaos that was happening around him. 

He blindly reached for Saruhiko, grabbing hold of his hand- and only knowing it was him because he tried to pull away- and held it tightly against his own. Wondering what was going on around him, and more importantly, if he was truly safe and that none of what he was seeing was in fact, nothing more than a pipe dream.

\- -

“You bastard,” Mikoto growled as he grabbed hold of the man known as Slasher, ripping his mask off so he could confirm his gut feeling before he wrapped his hand in the man's thick hair. He knew who Slasher was, had seen him working with Yakuza and had seen photos of crimes he had been suspected of committing- thanks to Munakata. If there was any one person capable of hurting Yata and Fushimi the way that they were hurt, he knew who was to blame, knew that Slasher was at his mercy now. 

He had no plans of letting him escape with his life.

“Wanna know what I did, Red King? Wanna know how much joy I got from it?”

Mikoto grit his teeth, tightening his grip on the man's head until he heard him grunt in pain. 

“Shut up.”

“They're good boys, that red head never wanted to say a bad word 'bout you, I wish I could have had more time with him. It would've been my greatest pleasure to break him beyond repair.”

Mikoto was silent, his lips pressed in a thin line as he let his rage take over him. Oddly enough, Slasher didn't fight back- likely knowing he stood no chance- but instead he stilled in his arms as if he was embracing fate. A fate Mikoto was happy to give to him. Without any further hesitation, he slammed Slasher's head down on the pavement, smiling when a distinct scream and crack met his ears. He didn't stop until he felt his fingers hit the pavement, knowing that there was no means for Slasher to still be alive he rose to his feet and began tracking down the others.

He half expected for Repeater to attempt to confuse them, but the moment that thought crossed his mind and he turned another corner, he caught sight of something he never thought he'd see. 

“Thought you said you were gonna detain them?” Mikoto chuckled darkly as he approached Munakata, ripping Repeater's body off of the Blue King's sword before he tossed it to the ground without an ounce of remorse. Reisi grimaced before pushing up his glasses with his other hand, shooting Suoh a heated glance before he walked away from him, sword still dripping with blood. 

Shrugging it off, Mikoto followed after him.

“Our next main suspect is the man known as Healer, don't worry about the mess, I’ll see to it that it gets taken care of.” Reisi advised as they worked their way back towards where the destruction had began. “My clansman as well as yours are to detain the others, the ringleaders are to be exterminated on sight. We'd only do it later, so why wait.”

“Munakata, who knew you had it in you,” Mikoto smirked as he grabbed hold of Reisi's shoulder, when the latter turned around he felt the smirk on his face grow wider. Reisi's eyes glowed a vibrant hue of Blue, his anger as evident as the blood that still rolled off the tip of his sword. “Let's just find him,” Mikoto offered as he dropped his hand, picking up his pace until he was jogging down the ripped up pavement. He didn't need to look back to know that Munakata still followed him. 

When they arrived at the scene- where Yata and Fushimi had likely been held- Mikoto felt his stomach drop. 

“I've been here before,” Mikoto grumbled as he touched the side of the building, “used to hangout back here by the dock when I was a kid.”

“I'm sure it's just a coincidence,” Reisi interjected as he made his way through the broken down door, Suoh hot on his heels.

“Probably,” Mikoto snorted, eyes looking out for any movement before he started to open each door and look inside the rooms. “Talk about bland, everything's white.”

“That's the point,” Reisi shot back at him with an irritated scowl, something Mikoto could only snort at. Before another word could be spoken, someone came into view at the upcoming intersection of the hallways, a white clad man with a deep look of terror on his face. Both Kings stopped in their place, eyes narrowing as the man held his hands up and approached them.

“I played only a minor roll in this, I was coerced after all. I would never dream to defy two Kings, no sane man would. They threatened me,” Healer rambled off as he continued to walk towards them- unaware of the danger he was in. “Please, you have to help me.”

“Oh, I’ll help you all right,” Mikoto growled, taking a large step forward but ultimately being stopped by Munakata's hand as he stepped in front of him, his sword almost dragging on the ground. 

“Allow me,” Reisi offered- ignoring Healer's pleas- as he pointed his sword at the man's neck. For a moment, he paused, his eyes raking over the trembling man on the ground before he pursed his lips. “Give me one reason to let you live to see the light of day.”

“You're just gonna kill me anyway,” Healer laughed darkly, “might as well tell you the truth. It's been a delight pulling the strings for once, you're both gonna pay for what you've done in the end. I’ll see you both in hell.”

“Save me a spot,” Mikoto chuckled as he watched Reisi move his arm forward swiftly, a spurt of blood sailing high into the air as Healer's head rolled off his shoulders. His body twitched before falling backwards, landing on the ground with a large thump as the two Kings regained their composure. 

“Let us clear the building, I trust that our clans should have things on the outside settled by now,” Reisi suggested as he shook his sword once, blood splattering the pristine white walls as he stepped over the limp body on the ground, not paying it the slightest attention. Mikoto sighed, following after him in the same manner as they went door to door, looking into one empty white room after another. In the last room of the hallway, he spotted something familiar, something he had seen in the videos sent to him all those days ago. Chains, hooked to a white wall and white floor. 

With a look of sheer anger, he slammed the door and headed down another hallway, stopping only when he found Munakata standing in one room's doorway. When he got closer, he looked over his shoulder, nudging him inside once he saw the blown apart door in the hallway and what laid behind those four walls. 

“So this is where they were kept,” Reisi said aloud though it sounded like it was meant to have been internalized, “how they made it out of here...is truly astounding. This place is like a maximum security prison.”

“I hate that this happened,” Mikoto admitted as he looked around the room one last time before he walked into the bathroom, reading the note card on the counter top before he turned to look at the blinding white lights. 

“Well at least it's over, for now,” Reisi sighed as he picked the sheet up off the bed, wiping his sword clean with it before he tossed it back and sheathed his saber. “The real battle begins the moment we make our way back to them.”

“It's not gonna be easy,” Mikoto frowned as he walked out of the room, trudging down the hallway with a grim expression. Not even the feeling of blood on his hands could take away the sting he felt pulse in his heart, the rage he felt at the people who had done this to both Yata and Fushimi. 

“It will be trial and error,” Reisi agreed as he fell into step beside him, “we must respect the fact that they likely won't want to talk at first and leave it at that. All we can do for now is be there for them and offer some sort of normalcy once again, when that much is established...getting them to talk will become a necessity. If they keep this bottled up inside themselves forever then they will become nothing more than ticking time bombs.”

“Like Yata or Fushimi would willingly open up,” Mikoto sighed as they exited the building, “you know them- well, Fushimi at least, you know he's not gonna pour his heart out to you or to anyone.”

“I'm aware of the uphill battle I’m facing Suoh, but at the very least I will remain supportive,” Reisi said with a grim tone of voice. “Sometimes persistence is key.”

“Persist all you want, I’m just saying, I know the guy.” Mikoto mumbled to himself, “it's not like Yata's gonna be any different.”

“Will that stop you from trying?” Reisi questioned as he looked over to his companion.

“No,” Mikoto breathed out, “persistence, right?”

“Yes, persistence.”

\- -

“Here, Fushimi.”

Blinking rapidly, Saruhiko stared blankly ahead at Seri and the object in her hands, his spare glasses. With a small nod of his head, he tentatively reached out and took them, sliding them onto his face with shaky hands- which he cursed himself for- as he gazed up at his Lieutenant. Seri said nothing, only smiled sadly and took a step to the side. Yata- having let go of his hands only moments before- was a nervous wreck beside him. Fidgeting in his seat and completely ignoring anyone and everything else around him as he kept staring blankly ahead, but by the time Fushimi looked forward again, he could see why. 

Reisi and Mikoto were making their way over to them, both covered in what looked like a great deal of blood though to Saruhiko that was the biggest relief of his life. The blood that stained their clothes felt like it would purify his own blood that littered his. He glanced down at his tattered shirt, ignoring the jacket that had been slung over his shoulders as he looked at the gruesome stains and tears in the fabric. He tensed when he stared down at his legs, thankful that they were both in tact.

“Fushimi-kun.”

Hearing that deep yet reassuring voice forced his head to rise, his eyes meeting Reisi's as the Blue King knelt down in front of him. 

“Took you long enough,” Saruhiko managed to choke out, hating how the words sounded so unsure when they slipped past his lips.

“Forgive me for my delay, I’m sorry you had to take action on your own for us to be able to find you.” Reisi apologized with a sincere look, “I wont say that you're all right, however, I am glad that you're alive.”

Saruhiko clicked his tongue but he felt unable to tear his eyes away from his King's, in the end, he felt his lips fall downwards into a frown. “I just want to get out of here, I’m sure I’ve got a lot to get done.”

“Always thinking about work,” Munakata smiled as he placed a hand on his clansman's shoulder, “you'll have plenty of time for that in the future. For now, let's just get you home.”

“Home?” Saruhiko mumbled, his hands balling into fists at the sound of his own weakness. 

“Of course,” Reisi replied all too happily, “are you ready to go?”

Saruhiko glanced over at Yata- who also looked at him at the same moment- before he nodded his head slowly, eyes falling down to the pavement beneath him as he hopped down from the bed of one of Scepter 4's vans. 

“Let's go,” Saruhiko answered as he watched Mikoto lift Yata off of the truck and into his arms before they walked towards HOMRA's van. For some reason he couldn't explain, fear ran through his veins for a moment before the hand on his shoulder squeezed him slightly, an action that seemed to calm him enough to let him follow after his King- ignoring the pitiful glances and words that were offered to him by any person he passed on his way.

_So it's finally over, huh? Then why do I feel so...no, it's nothing._

\- -

“Yata....”

After some time spent listening to nothing but white noise, sound finally came back to Yata at the simple call of his name. The speaker- his King- knelled down in front of him, a bloodstained hand resting on top of his as Yata finally glanced up, immediately getting the rest of his senses back the moment Mikoto's golden eyes met his own. 

“Mikoto-san...” he mumbled out, testing the name on his tongue as if it was the first time he had spoken it. The heat radiating off of Mikoto made everything clear to him now, this was no dream, this was reality. A bittersweet, terrifying- and yet relieving- reality, and this was something he could not wake up from. 

“Ah,” Mikoto answered in short, a pained expression crossing his face as he leaned in a bit closer. “I'm here.”

“Thank god,” Yata whispered, squeezing his boyfriend's hand as he grounded himself for the first time since he had woken up that day. “Is it...over?”

“Ah,” Mikoto breathed out, his voice sounding raspy and what could only be described as nervous. 

“Can we...leave?” Yata asked, his eyes watering as the reality of the situation took root in his heart and mind. He had nothing to fear now, he knew that, knew that what happened to him over the last two weeks were nothing more but bad memories now and that he'd never face them again, and yet, he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit afraid. 

The soil he was over was a place he never wanted to return to, and the only thing he longed for was to put as much distance between it and himself as he could. He glanced over at Saruhiko, catching his eyes in a silent understanding that they'd both go their separate ways before two strong arms wrapped around him. He wanted to fight them off at first, but their familiarity stopped him from doing so. 

Instead, he wrapped his legs around Mikoto's waist, his arms going around his neck as he laid his head out on his shoulder, reveling in the warmth that enveloped him and the sense of security he felt for the first time in a long time. 

“Rest,” Mikoto commanded, as he started to walk away, taking long strides forward until Yata could see nothing but a sea of familiar faces- some his clan, others of Scepter 4- as they brought man after man back in cuffs, stuffing them into armored vehicles like animals caught in the wild. He hoped they never got out of prison, hoped that each and every one of them had to suffer in some sort of way that he had to, anything less and it wouldn't be fair. 

He was vaguely aware of the fact that he was eventually seated inside of Homura's van, his King by his side as he slung an arm around him, protectively, and of the fact that others started to join them. Some crying, some looking at him for answers he wasn't ready to give, and when they pulled away from that part of Shizume Town and he glanced out the van's window, catching Saruhiko's gaze as they turned down different streets and out of each other's sight, he immediately felt shock hit him like a tidal wave.

_I can't believe it's over...I can't believe that I...that we're alive._

\- -

“With all due respect, Your Excellency, this matter falls under my jurisdiction and I will handle it in what way I see fit.” Reisi said in a condescending tone as he paced back and forth in the hallway of Scepter 4's infirmary, just outside of Saruhiko's current bedroom. On the other end of the line, he heard the Gold King let out a sigh.

“Do as you will, but make sure your documentation is more level headed than your current state of rationale.”

Before Reisi could even formulate a response, the line clicked and the call was ended. He was incredibly frustrated, that of all times that the Gold King would decide to question his course of actions, but at the same time, he couldn't exactly blame him for it either. He had been irrational earlier in the day and he knew that, knew that he let his temper finally slip and he had carelessly slaughtered two men in cold blood- and yet that itself did not satisfy the craving for _justice_ that he had. 

The thirty five men that were detained and being held in Scepter 4's prison we're facing charges that warranted death and that was what he was seeking, rather demanding. Never had he been so involved in a case, but in hindsight, none of his clansmen had been tortured before either. If wanting the ultimate punishment brought upon people that would intentionally mean to hurt others was a bad thing than Reisi would rather be in the wrong than be correct on it. 

Forcing himself to keep a straight face- something that used to come naturally to him, and always had, he calmly walked back into the infirmary and immediately went to Saruhiko's bedside. Sitting in the empty chair next to him as he glanced up at the heart monitor on the screen, feeling a bit relieved when he noticed the regular rhythm and numbers on the screen. For a long time, he sat there in silence, knowing a mountain of paperwork grew on his desk but finding himself unable to do anything other than wait for his clansman to awaken. 

He was desperate for answers, wanted to have every piece of the puzzle laid out in front of him, complete and showing the bigger picture, but in doing so that would be detrimental to Saruhiko's mental health and he knew it. So he would be patient, he would do as he told Suoh and remain an adamant voice of reason and do whatever he could to ensure that his clansman bounced back and recovered fully- healed of all wounds both physically if there were any, and mentally, which he was sure there was an abundance of.

From day one, Saruhiko's safety and status had been top priority, he wasn't about to let that slip just because his clansman was back and safe within Scepter 4's main building. He couldn’t imagine the atrocities he had been through, but if he had the choice to go back and do it in his place than he would. It was his protocols that had gotten Saruhiko in trouble to begin with, he was the one who had instructed Seri Awashima to give that mission to him, if anything, he was ultimately responsible.

That was a guilt he would never be able to lift from his conscious.

When Saruhiko awakened, it was with a startled lunge forward- which Reisi had to block with his hand- and in his panic, Saruhiko nearly ripped the IV from his veins in the process. The only thing Reisi could do was ease him back down onto the bed, offer him his glasses and reassure him that everything was fine and that there was nothing to worry about. In turn, all he got was a scowl- but behind that, in Saruhiko's eyes, there was nothing short of relief there.

“Are you feeling better now, Fushimi-kun?” 

“Ah,” Saruhiko replied blandly, glancing down at the wires in his arms with a look of distaste. “Can I get out of here now? I have work to do.”

“Fushimi-kun, you were severely dehydrated...” Reisi said with a concerned tone of voice, “you've also lost ten pounds. Before you can return to work we need to get you a clean bill of health.”

“I'm fine,” Saruhiko shot back at him, anger surfacing in his eyes though it quickly faded. “I just want to get back to what I’m used to doing, that's all.”

“I'm aware of that,” Reisi said with a stern voice, “however, I cannot have you underweight and dehydrated on the clock. You're off duty for at least two weeks, which you will still be compensated for as well as your time...spent away from us.”

“Can we just talk about the elephant in the room and get it over with?” Saruhiko sighed as he crossed his arms as best as he could, when the door clicked open he tensed before realizing who it was that walked in the door. Seri offered him a small smile as she came to the other side of his bed, glancing at the monitors briefly before her eyes flicked between Fushimi and Munakata.

“If you want to talk about it now then I’m all ears. Might I start by saying that Awashima-kun and I have been worrying ourselves sick over this situation. We are both relieved to have you back here at Scepter 4, and both of us want to apologize for our negligence in handling this situation. I, especially, would like to offer you my sincerest apologizes, however, I’m sure that that alone will not even begin to make up for what has transpired.” 

Saruhiko looked up at his King with slightly widened eyes before they fell back to his lap, feeling their sympathetic glances he felt his skin begin to crawl. With a hoarse voice and a pitiful sounding sigh, Saruhiko spoke.

“Let's just talk about it all tomorrow.”

\- -

Hospitals. Sterile, white, clean, probably not a good place to bring someone who had just been tortured by all of the above, but Mikoto had no other choice. Sticking around the Blues for too long was not an option and Yata didn't need to be anymore confused than he already was. It took everything Mikoto had to coax him in there, and only after he vowed not to leave his side did he agree. 

The nurses started an IV and offered Yata some food- which he scarfed down as if he hadn't eaten in weeks, which Mikoto could assume he hadn't- before they left the room. They only had to stay until the saline bag depleted itself or so they were told, it wasn't until it was halfway empty that Mikoto found the courage to speak- feeling as if anything he could say would not make the situation better in the slightest.

“They died pretty gruesomely,” he whispered as he glanced up from Yata's hand- which was held tightly by his own. “Suffered a lot, I'd say.”

“Good,” Yata mumbled back to him, voice devoid of any real joy or emotion- which made Mikoto feel sick to his stomach. 

“I wish I could have done more,” he sighed, his eyes screwing shut out of frustration. “Sorry I let you down in the end.”

“You didn't,” Yata argued quietly, his hand squeezing his King's reassuringly- something Mikoto reasoned _he_ should be doing for Yata, not the other way around. “I knew you'd show up, it was just a matter of how and when.”

“I see,” Mikoto breathed out, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling above him as if he was afraid to look over and see the hurt in his lover's eyes. 

“Did you at least take care of yourself, Mikoto-san?”

“Not really.”

“I figured you wouldn't.”

“You know me too well, that's all,” Mikoto muttered as he finally glanced down at Yata, feeling his heart figuratively break when those two hardened eyes met his own. He promised himself that he'd see them spark back to life, it was just the matter of how that he was left to figure out. “I missed you a lot.”

“You did?” Yata asked with a hint of surprise that made a small smile settle on his lips, “I missed you, too.”

Mikoto warily returned the grin, feeling the strain it put on his tired face the longer he faked it, he couldn't help but hang his head in shame.

_I'm sorry, Yata._


	7. Update (not a chapter)

Hi everyone, 

Sorry to disappoint but I don't have a new chapter up yet! I want to start of by saying I do NOT plan on abandoning this fic. It WILL get finished. That being said, it will be a few weeks or so before I am able to start writing again. I just began my clinical rotations with school (of which I work 24 hour shifts) and I also work 40 hours a week and go to school 15 hours a week. At the moment I have no free time whatsoever. If I'm home, I'm sleeping!   
That being said, I graduate at the end of this month and take exams the following week so when that time has come and all this chaos has ended I will resume where I left off. 

I apologize about the delay in informing you all. I wore myself out so much that I didn't even have the energy to write this and I've also had a lot of personal matters that have occurred since my last posting. Most recently being a good friend of mine unexpectedly passed away and as a result, I've been in a slump. But once this hurdle is passed and done with, I look forward to continuing this work and all my other in progress works. 

Thank you for your understanding and support and I hope to hear from you all when I return! 

-HOMRA

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/kudos are appreciated! <3


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